SCIENCE 



Editobial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; R. S. "Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickeeino, 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physios; R. H. Thurston, Engineering; Ira Ekmsen, Chemistry; 



J. Le Conte, Geology; W. M. Davis, Physiography; Heney F. OsBORN, Paleontology; W. K. 



Beooks, C. Hart Mereiam, Zoology; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology; C. E. Bessby, N. L. 



Britton, Botany; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology; H. P. Bowditch, Physiology; 



J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; J. McKebn Cattell, Psychology; Daniel G. Bein- 



TON, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, June 30, 1899. 



CONTENTS: 



Lord Kelvin's Address on (he Age of the Earth as 

 a7i Abode fitted for Life (/); Professor T. C. 

 Chamberlin 88'J 



Perspective Illusions from the Use of Myopic Olasses : 

 De. Robert MacDougall 901 



Jiirds as Weed Destroyers : De. Sylvkstee D. 

 Judd 905 



The Biology of the Great Lakes: Professor 

 Jacob Reighard 906 



The International Catalogue of Scientific Litera- 

 ture : — 

 Geology and Geography: Professor N. S. 



Shaler 907 



Physiology: PROFESSOR JACQUES LOEB 908 



■Scientific Books : — 



James's Talks to Teachers on Psychology : Pro- 

 fessor Charles DeGarmo. Wetterprognosen 

 und Wetterberichte des XV. und XVI. Jahrhun- 

 derts: Dr. A. L. EOTCH. Books Received 909 



Scientific Journals and Articles 911 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Ntw York Academy of Sciences — Section of 

 Biology: Professor Francis E. Lloyd. 

 The New York Section of the American Chemical 

 Society: Dr. Durand Woodman. The 

 Washington Botanical Club : Dr. Charles 

 Louis Pollard.. 912 



Professor Dewar on Liquid Hydrogen 914 



Automatic Ship-Propulsion: E. H. T 915 



Boneasurement of the Arc of Peru 916 



Leland Stanford Jr. University 916 



Scientific Notes and News 917 



I and Educational News 919 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review stiould be sent to the responsible editor, Profes- 

 -aor J. McKeen Cattell, Garrison-on-Hudson N. Y. 



LORD KELVIN'S ADDRESS ON THE AGE OF 



THE EARTH AS AN ABODE FITTED 



FOR LIFE.* 



I. 



In the early half of the century, when 

 the more sober modes of interpreting geo- 

 logical data were struggling to displace the 

 cataclysmic extravagances of more primi- 

 tive times, it is not strange that there 

 should have arisen, as a natural outgrowth 

 of the contest, an ultra- uniformitarianism 

 which demanded for the evolution of the 

 earth an immeasurable lapse of time. It is 

 not remarkable that individual geologists 

 here and there, reacting impatiently against 

 the restraints of stinted time-limits imposed 

 on traditional grounds, should have incon- 

 siderately cast aside all time limitations. 

 It was not unnatural that the earlier uni- 

 formitarians, not yet fully emancipated 

 from inherited impressions regarding the 

 endurance of rocks and the immutability 

 of the ' everlasting hills,' should have en- 

 tertained extreme notions of the slowness 

 of geological processes and have sought 

 compensation in excessive postulates of 

 time. ^Natural as these reactions from prim- 

 itive restrictions were, a reaction from them 

 in turn was inevitable. This reaction must 

 have ensued, in the nature of the case, when- 

 soever geologists came seriously to consider 

 those special phenomena which point to 



*This Journal, May 12, pp. 665-674, and May 19, 

 pp. 704-711. 



