178 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVII. No. 944 



that it has already been made use of in Cham- 

 berlin and Salisbury's text-book of geology, 

 in discussing continental and oceanic seg- 

 ments. If it is applicable to major elements 

 why not to minor ones as well ? The parts cut 

 off by a fault or included between faults might 

 be called fault segments and the terms up- 

 throw segment, downthrow segment, over- 

 thrust segment and underthrust segment 

 would be convenient and would obviate such 

 expressions as " the area adjacent to the 

 fault on the upthrow side " and others which 

 are equally unsatisfactory. Other usages of 

 the term would follow naturally. The Colo- 

 rado plateau may be cited, as an example of 

 segmentation by faulting. 



After writing the above I read the " Eeport 

 on the Investigation of the Geologic Struc- 

 ture of the Alps," by Willis' and found the 

 following usages of the term segment: 



Each of these minor scarps is the western face 

 of a segment of the range. . . . 



It is an example of major and minor thrusting 

 with two somewhat divergent directions of dis- 

 placement and with diversities of folding in the 

 several segments. 



These are the only quotations which I can 

 cite, but there are no doubt others which may 

 occur to the reader. The fact that geologic 

 text-books and glossaries do not include or 

 define the term segment is no reason against 

 its being used, since they follow usage rather 

 than establish it. 



Geo. I. Adams 



IS THE " ACADEMIC COSTUME " WORTH WHILE ? 



To THE Editor of Science : Early in October 

 last I accompanied my wife to the celebration 

 of the seventy-fifth anniversary of Mt. Holy- 

 oke College, where she graduated in 1873. 

 I was deeply and favorably impressed with the 

 comprehensiveness and significance of the pro- 

 gram and with the executive ability mani- 

 fested by those — chiefly women — charged with 

 its fulfilment. 



Of the several functions, however, I wit- 



• Smithsonian Miscellaneous CoUeetions, Vol. 56, 

 No. 31, 1912. 



nessed but one, and that only in part. The 

 " Intercollegiate Commemoration Exercises " 

 began with a procession of some score presi- 

 dents and delegated professors arrayed in fu.ll 

 " academic costume." The sentiments aroused 

 by it banished all desire to remain. (The fol- 

 lowing discourses, however, were admirably re- 

 ported and were read afterward with interest 

 and enlightenment.) 



At Cornell University, some years ago, as a 

 member of a committee on the subject, I co- 

 operated in preventing the adoption of an 

 arbitrary requirement; when, nevertheless, 

 parti-colored ceremonial garments were worn 

 by most of my colleagues, I excused myself 

 from commencement exercises; hence I was 

 quite unprepared for the gorgeous spectacle 

 at Mt. Holyoke. 



I tried to comprehend how mature, modest, 

 civilized and learned persons could don gar- 

 ments indicating, on the one hand, an assump- 

 tion of superiority and, on the other, a childish 

 delight in bright colors and startling combina- 

 tions (one was so " loud " that it seemed 

 doubtful if the wearer could make himself 

 heard). Nor could I refrain from speculating 

 as to how far the addition of feathers and 

 paint might complete the barbaric ensemble, 

 arouse more keenly the curiosity of the unin- 

 itiated, and more effectually dazzle the eyes of 

 groundlings. 



Since then there have been sent me colored, 

 plates of the various academic costumes ac- 

 cording to British and American usages, some 

 courteous letters and offers of fuller informa- 

 tion, and a pamphlet entitled " The Interna- 

 tional Bureau of Academic Costume, Albany, 

 N. T., July 27, 1902." To those interested I 

 commend the paragraphs in that publication 

 at the middle of page 5 and near the top of 

 page 11. Candid and careful consideration 

 of the claims there made confirms the opinion 

 formed when the subject was first broached, 

 viz., excepting, perhaps, the plain gown for 

 the first degree, obviating social distinctions, 

 the so-called " academic costume " is ostenta- 

 tious, needless, childish or barbaric, and inap- 

 propriately expensive; its rapid and general 



