186 



SCIENCE. 



[N. b. Vol. XIX. No. 474. 



by whom more than one geographical ar- 

 ticle of advanced grade, based on original 

 observation and study, has been published. 



3. The independence of the union thus 

 constituted of- all other geographical so- 

 cieties. 



Although we can not adduce any exist- 

 ing geographical society in this country as 

 a witness competent to prove that geog- 

 raphy has sufficient unity and coherence 

 to tempt geographers to form such a union 

 as is here contemplated, a careful review 

 of the problem convinces me that a suffi- 

 cient unity and coherence really exist in 

 the science as I have treated it;' and I, 

 therefore, believe that the formation of an 

 American geographers' union is feasible as 

 well as desirable. 



It has been my object in this address to 

 describe briefly the status of mature geog- 

 raphy in our country, and to suggest sev- 

 eral steps that might be taken for its im- 

 provement. Certain branches of the sub- 

 ject have reached a high development, but 

 the subject as a whole does not thrive with 

 us. The reason for its relative failure is 

 not, I believe, to be found in the very 

 varied nature of its different parts, but 

 rather in the failure to place sufficient em- 

 phasis on those relationships by which, 

 ■more than by anything else, geography is 

 to be distinguished from other sciences, 

 and by which, more than by anything else, 

 geographers may come to be united. 

 Among the great number of persons— 

 many thousands in all— whose attention is 

 given primarily to subjects that are closely 

 related to geography as here defined, there 

 must certainly be many — probably several 

 hundred — with whom mature geography is 

 a first interest. It is upon these persons, 

 geographers by first intention, that the 

 future development of sound and thorough, 

 matur.e and scientific, geography among us 

 primarily depends. To these geographers, 

 in particular, I would urge the importance 



of developing the systematic aspects of the 

 science, and of constantly associating the 

 special branch that they cultivate with the 

 subject as a whole. Observation will not 

 suffice for the full development of geog- 

 raphy; critical methods of investigation, in 

 which deduction has a large place, must be 

 employed; for only by the aid of careful 

 theorizing can an understanding of many 

 parts of the subject be gained. With the 

 progress of systematic geography we may 

 expect to see a parallel progress of local 

 or regional geography. As the science is 

 thus developed, societies of mature geo- 

 graphical experts will be formed, and sci- 

 entific geography will thrive; but whether 

 thus developed into a thriving science or 

 not, I hope that another long term of years 

 may not pass without a representative of 

 geography in this vice-presidential chair. 

 W. M. Davis. 

 Harvard University. 



KARL ALFRED TON ZITTEL. 



In the death of Karl Alfred von Zittel 

 paleontology has lost one of its most dis- 

 tinguished advocates. Although a German 

 by birth. Professor von Zittel belonged to 

 every country, and through his remarkable 

 work 'Handbueh der Palteontologie ' his 

 influence extended everywhere. It is prob- 

 ably not an exaggeration to say that he 

 did more for the promotion and diffusion 

 of paleontology than any other single man 

 who lived during the nineteenth century. 

 While not gifted with genius, he possessed 

 extraordinary judgment, critical capacity 

 and untiring industry. 



The first volume of his great work bears 

 the date 1876-1880, covering the extinct 

 Protozoa, Coelenterata, Echinodermata and 

 MoUuscoidea ; the second volume, covering 

 the MoUusca and Arthropoda, bears the 

 date 1881-1885; the third volume, begin- 

 ning the Vertebrata, was issued between 

 1887 and 1890, and covers the Pisces, Am- 



