Febeuaey 14, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



271 



ber 17, Professor T. C. Chamberlin, of the 

 University of Chicago, gave an address en- 

 titled, 'Some Further Studies as to the Early- 

 States of the Earth.' The nebular hypothesis 

 of the origin of the earth, as stated by Laplace, 

 was discussed, and a brief summary made of 

 certain tests to which the theory had been put 

 by Professor Chamberlin and others, as de- 

 scribed by Professor Chamberlin in various 

 publications. It was concluded that the La- 

 placean hypothesis will not stand fundamental 

 tests and that some modification of the hy- 

 pothesis or some new hypothesis is necessary. 



Professor Chamberlin's researches have fur- 

 nished criteria for a new hypothesis of the 

 origin of the earth. The parent body out of 

 which the solar system was evolved must have 

 been one which possessed limited matter; a 

 very small proportion of matter near the ex- 

 terior with very high energy of movement; 

 in the central portion very low energy of move- 

 ment, and with the conditions in the central 

 portion permitting the developnaent of a 

 spherical body as the controlling center. 



The earth in its early history may be con- 

 ceived to have been a small body, growing 

 gradually by the infall of material from with- 

 out, without, in the early stages, an atmos- 

 phere, because of its incompetency to hold one. 

 The atmosphere, instead of being the dominant 

 phenomenon at the beginning of the earth, 

 was practically absent from the exterior of the 

 earth until it was ^\ or more grown. Grad- 

 ually the accretion of the atmosphere per- 

 mitted the gathering of water vapor, and this 

 by condensation at length formed the oceans. 

 These thenceforth protected the inf ailing mat- 

 ter of that portion of the earth, for matter 

 falling into water does not undergo as ready 

 decomposition as that which falls upon the 

 surface. This process going on from age to 

 age gave to certain areas a higher specific 

 gravity than other portions. We therefore 

 have an explanation of the superior gravity of 

 the portion of the earth lying under these 

 beds of water as compared with the land, and 

 thus, perhaps, of the great depth of ocean 

 basins. 



It is obvious that from a very early stage 

 volcanic action miist have arisen from the ex- 



cessive heat generated in the interior through 

 self -compression of the mass, as may be shown 

 by mathematical calculation. The volcanic 

 action would afl^ect certain substances before 

 others, and the selection thus made from the 

 time of its inauguration, when the earth was 

 perhaps not more than -^^ or yjj grown, is 

 sufficient to explain the present distribution 

 of volcanic matter. 



Another phase of the history of the earth 

 may be traced in this way : If the temperature 

 of the interior is sufficiently accounted for by 

 compression, the temperature developed by the 

 infall of matter may have been made avail- 

 able for the sustenance of life at a very early 

 period. Therefore we escape the objections 

 raised by geologists against the prolonged era 

 of evolution insisted upon by biologists. 



C. K. Leith. 



THE ACADEMY OP SCIENCE OF ST. LOUIS. 



At the meeting of the Academy of Science 

 of St. Louis on the evening of January 20, 

 Dr. George Richter delivered an address on 

 the physical and chemical properties of gela- 

 tin, which he described as a spongy substance 

 differing materially from other solids. The 

 manner of manufacture of gelatin and its 

 chemical and physical characters were de- 

 scribed in detail, and considerable attention 

 was given to the rate of absorption and evap- 

 oration of water by gelatin, and the phenom- 

 enon of its apparent solution in water. A 

 new hygrometer was exhibited and described, 

 the action of which was based upon the water 

 absorption of gelatin. 



At the meeting on February 3, Mr. Trelease 

 presented, with the aid of lantern illustrations, 

 some of the principal results of his recent 

 studies of Yuccas and their allies. 



William Trelease, 

 Recording Secretary. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



wireless telegraphy. 

 To THE Editor of Science : I wish to enter 

 formal protest against the statement concern- 

 ing Wireless Telegraphy, on page 112, etc., of 

 the issue of Science for January 17. 



