712 



SCIENCE 



[X. S. Vol. XXX. No. 777 



refer especially to the expeditions sent out for 

 collecting and study; a two-months' trip from 

 a Massachusetts college to Cuba to make a 

 geological collection, or from an Ohio college 

 to the llaine coast for an anthropological col- 

 lection, offers two or three of the best men an 

 opportunity for broadening experience and fur- 

 ther first-hand study ; which is a fit reward for 

 excellency in geology or archeology; and the 

 men respond to it. 



Of necessity the plans of such an expedition, 

 when they are to serve as a stimulus to schol- 

 arship, must be carefully thought through. 

 The membership must be limited to men who 

 have earned the right. The field should be 

 distant enough to be a new experience. The 

 objects of the expedition must be broad enough 

 to interest not only those who go, but their 

 fellow students. The manner of life should 

 be as untrammeled as practicable, camping if 

 possible. In general, research work would be 

 too technical for the main object of such an 

 expedition; but it is rare indeed that two 

 months of active work by a party of three or 

 four fails to bring to light some new form, or 

 make some concrete contribution to knowledge. 

 And it is this possibility, like the vein of gold 

 to the prospector, which urges the men ever 

 on; and upon their return, it is the account 

 of this success which brings the cheers of their 

 fellows. This last is a very important part 

 of an expedition, being the dramatic moment 

 which completes the trip. 



"While such natural sciences as anthropology, 

 biology, botany, geology and zoology most 

 easily lend themselves to expeditions, other 

 departments like economics, physics, chemis- 

 try, etc., can use them for study and accumu- 

 lation of data if not for collecting. Languages 

 and mathematics will find methods along dif- 

 ferent lines. But I believe that in all cases 

 the prize which will stimulate the best scho- 

 lastic work is to offer the successful competi- 

 tors a broader opportunity, and an experience 

 which will probably not come to him again in 

 later life. It is a taste of the fruit which 

 mature work in his field offers. 



r. B. Looiiis 

 Amhebst College 



HISTORICAL GRAPHICS 



To THE Editor of Science: The two recent 

 letters in Science with the above title suggest 

 the hope that many other teachers are present- 

 ing the personal and historical sides of their 

 subjects along with the scientific and formal 

 parts, and are using charts like those de- 

 scribed. It would be well worth the time 

 needed, to require students to make such charts 

 for different subjects, suitable brief lists of 

 names with dates being furnished them and 

 proper scales being suggested. It is obvious 

 that where it is important to note contem- 

 porary lives — as in studying Italian art, or 

 the wars between England and France, or 

 between the kings of Judah and Israel — such 

 charts are practically indispensable. If it is 

 desired to unite in one chart both duration, 

 as of lives, and dates of events, it is some- 

 times better to put the time in a vertical 

 column. 



But do not let it be overlooked that we owe 

 this ingenious device to the famous Dr. 

 Joseph Priestley, F.E.S., the chemist, his- 

 torian, political writer and theologian. In 

 1T65 he published " A Chart of Biography " 

 which ran through many editions, including 

 one at Philadelphia in 1803. A similar idea 

 was utilized in " A iSTew Chart of History " 

 in 1770, of which a fifteenth edition appeared 

 in 1816. His " Lectures on History," 1788, 

 and several times reprinted, are accompanied 

 by a small specimen of each chart. In one 

 place he says : 



The state of the world with respect to persons 

 . . . may be exhibited with ease and advantage 

 by means of lines and spaces. . . . Our idea of 

 time is always that of a line. 



The advantages are set forth at length. His 

 original chart covered the period 1200 B.C. to 

 about 1750 a.d. and had 2,000 names divided 

 into classes, with dates and areas; durations 

 that were certain were represented by full 

 lines ; uncertain periods by dotted lines. These 

 principles were clearly applied in the " Bio- 

 graphical Chart " with fifty names prefixed to 

 his voluminous " History and Present State of 

 Vision, Light and Colors," 1772. 



As Americans we have a special interest in 

 the man, because of his association with Ben- 



