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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LI. No. 1312 



a life of sloitiiful ease, and dedicated themselves 

 and their fortune to the study of the history of the 

 earth. Playfair and Cuvier were both teachers of 

 other branches of science, irresistibly drawn into 

 the sphere of geological inquiry and speculation. 

 Of the whole gallery of worthies that have passed 

 before us, a comparatively small proportion could 

 be classed as in the strictest sense professional 

 geologists, such as Werner, Sedgwick and Logan. 

 Were we to step outside of that gallery, and in- 

 clude the names of all who have helped to lay the 

 foundations of the science, we should find the pro- 

 portion to be still less. 



From the beginning of its career, geology has 

 owed its foundation and its advance to no select 

 and privileged class. It has been open to all 

 who cared to undergo the trials which its success- 

 ful prosecution demands. And what it has been in 

 the past, it remains to-day. No branch of natural 

 knowledge lies more invitingly open to every stu- 

 dent who, loving the fresh face of Nature, is will- 

 ing to train his faculty of observation in the field, 

 and to discipline his mind by the patient correla- 

 tion of facts and the fearless dissection of theories. 

 To such an inquirer no limit can be set. He may 

 be enabled to rebuild parts of the temple of sci- 

 ence, or to add new towers and pinnacles to its 

 superstructure. But even if he should never ven- 

 ture into such ambitious undertakings, he wiU gain, 

 in the cultivaition of geological pursuits, a solace 

 and enjoyment amid the cares of life, which will 

 become to him a source of the purest joy. 



In this country at the present time, as Mr. 

 David White in an as yet unpublished ad- 

 dress, has I believe pointed out, the amateur 

 geologist, due partly to the way in which the 

 subject is taught, is rare and few indeed are 

 the contributions made to the science by those 

 who follow geology as an avocation or hobby. 

 This is unfortunate and an improvement of 

 this condition should be one of the major ob- 

 jects of the educational program of a national 

 geological survey. The science lends itself 

 particularly to its pursuit as a recreation by 

 men of trained intellect who must find in the 

 open air some relief from sedentary pro- 

 fessions. In a country still so new as ours 

 geologic problems lie on every hand and many 

 of these can be solved wholly or in part with- 

 out elaborate apparatus or laboratory facili- 

 ties. The standards for the professional geol- 

 ogist should be high, but there is no necessity 



that maintenance of such standards should be 

 accompanied by a patronizing or supercilious 

 attitude toward the work of the amateur. 

 Eather, let the professional geologist cultivate 

 sympathy, tolerance, and generosity toward 

 all who are earnestly seeking for the truth; 

 let him help by encouragement instead of 

 deterring by disdain. There is no better evi- 

 dence of a wide interest in geology than the 

 existence of numerous amateur workers and 

 it is decidedly to the advantage of the pro- 

 fessional geologist and to the science to en- 

 courage in every way possible the efforts of 

 such workers and to increase their number. 

 F. L. Eansome 

 (To be concluded) 



GEORGE MACLOSKIE 



George Macloskie was born in Castledown, 

 Ireland, in 1834. He studied at Queens' 

 University, Ireland, receiving the degree of 

 A.B. and A.M. Later, at the University of 

 London, he took the degrees in course of 

 LL.B. and LL.D. He was three times gold 

 medalist. After he had been some years in 

 America the University of Ireland granted 

 him the honorary Sc.D. 



He was for 13 years (1861-'74) pastor of 

 the church of Ballygoney, Ireland. During 

 his student life and while discharging his 

 pastorial duties he was actively interested in 

 the study of natural history. This interest 

 had attracted the attention of his friend and 

 one-time teacher, Dr. McCosh, the new Presi- 

 dent of Princeton College, who called him in 

 to occupy the chair of natural history in the 

 recently established John C. Green School of 

 Science, at Princeton. 



In this chair, later termed biology, with 

 imfailing devotion he served the college and 

 imiversity for 31 years, retiring in 1906 as 

 professor emeritus. During this period, in 

 addition to his teaching and executive duties, 

 he wrote his " Elementary Botany vnth Stu- 

 dent's guide to the Examination of Plants " 

 published by Henry Holt & Company, 1883, 

 which for several years was used in his 

 classes. He published also a nmnber of 

 papers on botanical subjects, chiefly in the 

 Torrey Bulletin and entomological papers, in 



