January 31, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



183 



much better in its study of crystals up to 

 the beginning of the seventeenth century, 

 as witness its reasoning that because quartz 

 was found on the high Alps and sometimes 

 contained water that ergo it must be ice 

 frozen so hard it could not melt. A few of 

 the pupils, however, distinguished crystal 

 forms quite accurately and drew excellent 

 representations of them. I believe distinc- 

 tions of form might be easily taught to 

 pupils of this age and even younger if 

 more attention was paid to it. In nearly 

 all lines of scientific study form is far more 

 important than color. 



In their study of meteorites nearly all 

 noticed the ' thumb marks ' and' gave a 

 reasonable explanation for them. They also 

 noticed the composition of meteorites as 

 made up of iron and stone in different 

 amounts. The finer details of structure 

 were entirely overlooked, however. Only 

 one noticed the Widmanstattian figures, de- 

 scribing them as ' scratches, ' and the 

 ehondritic structure was not noted at all. 



The observations drawn from a study of 

 the relief maps excelled all others in accu- 

 racy and fullness. 



The region of the Grand Caiion of the 

 Colorado, for instance, was correctly de- 

 scribed as a valley worn to a profile of 

 equilibrium into which a subsequent caiion 

 had been cut by the rise of the land. This 

 had doubtless been stated in the text-book, 

 but the relief map evidently gave the sub- 

 ject a vividness and reality. So also from 

 a map showing the extent of the conti- 

 nental glacier, the southern limit of the 

 glacier was correctly traced and a perma- 

 nent impression, doubtless, of an important 

 fact gained. On other relief maps the posi- 

 tions and relations of plateaus, divides and 

 slopes were correctly noted and single 

 geologic features accurately described. 

 One could not read over the portions of 

 the essays devoted to this subject without 

 being convinced that relief maps are most 



desirable adjuncts for the teacliing of 

 geography. 



Some glaciated surfaces were noted by 

 all, but few gave a correct explanation for 

 the markings on them although the origin 

 of the markings was stated in an accom- 

 panying label. One thought they were due 

 to running water, another to ' undulations 

 in the ground moraine.' I doubt if the 

 young mind is able to conceive fully of the 

 physical effects of a continental glacier. 



Graphite was studied by many of the 

 pupils, their interest in it presumably be- 

 ing aroused by their familiarity with it in 

 lead-pencils. The fact that it was black 

 was the principal point noted, although 

 some listed the localities whence it is ob- 

 tained. From some inconceivable source 

 one lad drew the information that 

 ' ' graphite is used for egg coal, because it 

 contains a great deal of oil, so that it is 

 used where a fire is needed. Coal dust 

 moulded by pressure forms graphite." 



The accounts of petroleum and its uses 

 were generally full and accurate and must 

 have been drawn almost entirely from ob- 

 servations on the collection. Such a laiowl- 

 edge of petroleum could not have been 

 gained by reading a dozen books. Asbes- 

 tos, salt, gypsum, mica and sulphur were 

 among other substances noted, some ac- 

 count being given of the appearance and 

 uses of each. The statements were partly 

 second-hand and partly original, with no 

 evidence of any particular skill in observa- 

 tion. One girl, for instance, stated she 

 could see no difference in appearance be- 

 tween gypsum and asbestos, though the dis- 

 tinction should have been plain. It was 

 evident that the pupils had not as a whole 

 been trained to careful observation, for 

 many obvious distinctions were overlooked. 



On the whole the essays showed the need 

 of mu.seum study rather than imjiortant 

 results from it. They painfully evinced 

 the fact that copied labels and statements 



