156 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. — 1915. 



for the names of States; (b) the South-west quarter is the ordinary 

 Eoman and itahc with strong serif ; (c) the North-east quarter is entirely 

 Eoman with the exception of water-names and the names of physical 

 features (the principal point of comparison between (b) and (c) lies 

 in the smallest town names, which in (b) are italic and in (c) Eoman) ; 

 (d) the South-east quarter is like (a) but entirely sans-serif. There are 

 more names and the letters are smaller. With reference to size, Map II. 

 shows letterings generally suitable for a Junior School Atlas, Map III. 

 letterings generally suitable for a Senior School Atlas. The smallest 

 type (in the South-east quarter) is in each case too small for use in the 

 appropriate Atlas. With reference to style, for the larger sizes the best 

 style is one approaching sans-serif. The italic when used for the larger 

 sizes, or with too frequent distribution in any size, is apt to produce a 

 dazzling effect. On the other hand, italic by its obliquity gives a larger 

 letter for a given height, and this increase of size is particularly advan- 

 tageous with smaller names ; it also affords a useful model for students 

 to copy in manuscript. A sparing use of italic for small names is there- 

 fore recommended, together with a sans-serif style for all permissible 

 sizes. 



Note. — The maps are published for purposes of illustration only. 

 They are in no respect models, nor has the Committee dealt with the 

 orthography of names. 



Projections. 



Few varieties of projection should be employed in a School Atlas. 

 For Hemispheres, Clark's Minimum Error Projection is best; the 

 Globular Projection is to be avoided. For Continents and for the larger 

 countries. Zenithal Equal Area; for the smaller countries a simple 

 conical development. The excessive distortion of Mollweide's Homolo- 

 graphic Projection makes it unsuitable for school use. From the 

 body of the Atlas, Mercator's Projection should be excluded; it can, 

 however, be effectively employed as an Index Sheet. It is an excellent 

 lesson in distortion to plot carefully on a Mercator's Projection the 

 areas covered by the individual maps of the Atlas. We consider that 

 Hemisphere maps should be much more freely employed, since they 

 are the most accurate representations (except the globe) of the Earth's 

 surface. Where practicable, they should be used to exhibit world dis- 

 tributions of all kinds. It has been stated already that the scales 

 employed should be few and as a rule simple multiples one of another. 

 On each map the scale should be clearly stated. In the margin should 

 be indicated other towns in the same latitude and also (on maps of 

 wide extent) the area of a quadrilateral of the network. 



It will be noted that the projection in Maps II. and III. has been 

 divided into two halves. The Western half shows a map bounded by 

 meridians and parallels. Its advantages are evident, and it is suggested 

 that the map of Europe should be bounded in this way, to serve as a 

 warning that a vertical line on the map does not necessarily run North 

 and South. The utility of carefully designed insets occupying the 

 margin far outweighs any distraction which they may cause to the eye. 



