Reviews 



Traitt de geographie physique. — Climat — Hydro graphic — Relief du 

 sol — Biogeographie. By Emanuel de Martonne. Paris: Li- 

 brairie Armand Colin, 1909. 8vo, viii + 9iopp., 396 text figs, 

 and maps, 48 phot, plates, 2 colored planispheres. 



This work, as stated by one reviewer, is a mine of information with a 

 wealth of useful illustrations. As stated in the author's preface, it aims to 

 put the educated public on the track of important geographic publications, 

 and to give to the specialist a general treatise that will aid in rounding out 

 and properly orienting his special lines of research. Each subject dis- 

 cussed is followed by a full list of recent works bearing upon it, to be found 

 in the French, German, and English languages, and occasional works in 

 other languages. Topographic and other maps of value in illustration of 

 the features discussed are cited by name or number, and include many 

 from the United States as well as from most of the European countries, and 

 a few from Africa and India. 



Many of the illustrations are artistic sketches made by the author from 

 nature. Representation in three dimensions is also a notable feature of 

 the illustrations. The wealth of illustrations and of references is combined 

 with a clear and vivid presentation in the text. It will be a useful work for 

 schools as well as for the specialists and the educated public. The author's 

 experience as a teacher as well as a field investigator counts in the 

 preparation of this comprehensive volume. The author's special lines of 

 investigation, glaciers and physiographic features, are handled with excep- 

 tional clearness, but the work shows evidence throughout of painstaking 

 collaboration and treatment. As a basis for the discussion of certain sub- 

 jects the classic works of Hahn, Haug, de Margerie, Angot, and others are 

 freely drawn upon: 



The first 72 pages deal with the form and situation of the earth as a 

 planet, and the modes of representing the terrestrial sphere by various 

 projections. The author recommends, and uses in this work, the MoU- 

 weide projection for maps of large area, but for topographic maps with a 

 scale of 1 : 100,000 or less the use of polyconic projections is recommended. 

 He deprecates the use in school atlases and wall maps of the Mercator 

 projection with its exaggeration of polar lands, and urges that the projection 

 be clearly stated on all maps for school use. 



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