10 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 27. 



lower ethnic type are coming to the front 

 in statesmanship. 



It is not likely that many citizens of the 

 United States will deeply sympathize with 

 our author iii this anthropological pes- 

 simism. D. G. Brinton. 



CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY (XL). 

 .PHYSIOGEAPHT OF CUBA. 



Much excellent physiographical material 

 may be found in R. T. Hill's recent ' Notes 

 on the G-eology of the Island of Cuba ' 

 (based on a reconnoissance made for A. 

 Agassiz; Bull. M. C. Z. xvi., 1895, 243-288, 

 maps and plates). One chapter, entitled 

 ' Geologic liistory recorded by the topo- 

 graphy,' is an excellent example of physio- 

 graphic methods, which the author knows 

 so well how to employ. The mountains of 

 the interior are described as residual masses 

 rising above a dissected peneplain ; while 

 the coast, especially around the eastern end 

 of the island, is friaged with sea-cut benches 

 terminating inland in strong sea cliffs. 

 Hill differs from certain other writers in 

 not regarding the ragged outline of Cuba as 

 indicative of submergence, no downward 

 movement being proved since the beginning 

 of Tertiary time. 



GEOLOGIC ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



The folios of maps and text issued by the 

 United States Geological Survey are pro- 

 viding sound phj^siographic descriptions of 

 various parts of the country. One of the 

 latest, the Estillville sheet, including parts 

 of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee, by 

 Campbell, classifies the surface forms with 

 reference to the two well-marked peneplains 

 that have been produced in the Appalachian 

 province : the Cretaceous peneplain of the 

 now dissected uplands ; the Tertiary pene- 

 plain of the valley floors, now trenched by 

 the rivers. The head of Powell's valley, in- 

 cluded in this map, is a region of remark- 

 able geological and topograi^hical interest. 



well adapted to summer field-work for the 

 geological students of southern universities. 

 It maj^ be noted that in naming the three 

 main divisions of the Appalachian province, 

 Campbell does not employ the usual term, 

 Alleghany plateau. While the central di- 

 vision is all included in the ' Appalachian 

 valley,' comprehending the linear ridges as 

 well as the associated lowland, and while 

 the diverse forms of the eastern division are 

 named the 'Appalachian mountains,' yet the 

 western division is called ' the Cumberland 

 plateau and the Alleghany mountains ;' no 

 general name being here suggested. It 

 seems unfortunate that the many similar 

 features of this division should not be taken 

 as sufficient reason for giving it some single 

 general name, under which sub-divisions 

 might be afterwards recognized when 

 needed. 



DE LAPPAEENT ON GEOMOEPHOGENY. 



Pkofessoe a. dE Lappaeext, president of 

 the Societe de Geographic at Paris, contrib- 

 utes an article on La Geomorphogenie to 

 the Revue des questions seientifiques for April, 

 based in good part on American writings 

 on this subject. He applies the phys- 

 iographical methods to certain French 

 problems, calling especial attention to the 

 diversion of the Moselle from the Meuse to 

 its present course below Toul. Few foreign 

 writers have shown so full an appreciation 

 as is here manifested of the systematic se- 

 quence that characterizes the development 

 of topographical forms during the long pro- 

 cess of baselevelling a region. 



EIBLIOTHECA GEOGRAPHICA. 



The Gesellschaft fur Erdkunde of Berlin has 

 for many years published in its Zeitschrift 

 an annual summary of geographical litera- 

 ture prepared by its secretary. Dr. Koner, 

 from 1853 until his death in 1887. The 

 summary was continued for 1887 and 1888 

 by Fromm, for 1889 by Wolfsteig, and for 

 1890 by E. Wagner. Twenty-five years 



