96 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 



facts have been correlated with it, that I introduce a classifica- 

 tion of constructional forms. Some such classification is essen- 

 tial, but it is difficult to establish satisfactorily, because of the 

 endless variety of structures found in nature. At present in the 

 elementary course I recognize only plains and plateaus of hori- 

 zontal strata ; mountains of disordered strata, with many minor 

 subdivisions ; and in a subordinate way, volcanic cones and flows, 

 and glacial hills and moraines. Like the more difificult orders of 

 plants in an elementary course on Botany, mountains must be 

 treated briefly in an elementary course on Physical Geography, 

 and their fuller treatment left for more advanced study. After 

 the various kinds of constructional forms are treated, it is advis- 

 able to review the features of rivers, with their divides, lakes, water- 

 falls, flood plains, and deltas ; and in this connection a week or 

 two may be given to the forms assumed by the waste of the 

 land on the way to the sea. The distribution of different kinds 

 of forms should be briefly given with their classification. 



When thus developed. Physical Geography may worthily 

 claim the dignity of a University study. Its subject matter is 

 of importance in itself, as well as in its relations to geology, 

 zoology and botany, or to history and economics. Its methods 

 are of value in training various mental faculties : observation, 

 description, generalization ; imagination, comparison, discrim- 

 ination ; these are all cultivated to a high degree in the student 

 who successfully utilizes the opportunities of the course. 



Two other aspects of the subject may be briefly considered. 



Areal geography. — The study of the fauna and flora of a region 

 or of a continent requires the examination of all of its animals 

 and plants according to some acceptable scheme of classification. 

 The study of the areal geology of a region involves the exami- 

 nation of its formations in their order of local occurrence, but 

 also with regard to the general, world-wide scheme of geological 

 classification. In the same way, the study of the areal geog- 

 raphy of a country or of the world calls for the recognition of the 

 parts that compose the whole, of their location and area, and of 



