94 EDITORIAL 



slower, it would be correspondingly lengthened. This radical 

 defect is obviated, in the main, by Ritter's method. 



If the period occupied by the supposed gaseous ancestor of 

 the sun in shrinking from the earth's orbit to its present size is 

 such as computed by Ritter, or if it be any period of that order 

 of magnitude, it will probably be the conclusion of geologists 

 and biologists that the hypothesis of such a gaseous sun is 

 irreconcilable with geological evidence and with the phenomena 

 of biological evolution. At any rate, this is a mode of testing 

 the validity of the gaseous hypothesis which merits the careful 

 consideration of those competent to pass judgment upon it, and 

 it is earnestly to be hoped that the method of Ritter and his 

 assumptions will be subjected to critical reexamination in the 

 light of the most recent researches. 



The press announce that in a recent lecture before the Low- 

 ell Institute, Dr. See stated certain radical conclusions which 

 he has reached with reference to the temperatures of the 

 exteriors of gaseous bodies. We understand that his funda- 

 mental formula is closely analogous to one of those derived by 

 Ritter. Applied to the sun when expanded to the dimensions 

 of the earth's orbit, it gives a relatively low external tempera- 

 ture. It is not clear that this low outer temperature is compati- 

 ble with the rapid loss of heat that appears to be involved 

 necessarily in Ritter's rapid evolution, and we do not understand 

 that Dr. See holds the latter view. Geologists will watch with 

 interest the appearance of Dr. See's new views in authentic form, 

 and may well congratulate themselves on the prospect of a dis- 

 cussion of the nebular hypothesis on new lines. 



T. C. C 

 *** 



The eleventh annual meeting of the Geological Society of 

 America, which was held at Columbia University, in New York 

 City, was characterized by a large attendance of the Fellows and 

 by a very general interest in the proceedings. The accommoda 

 tions furnished by the University were sumptuous in many ways 

 the elegant Schermerhorn building proving highly satisfactory 





