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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 683 



men whose ambition is not wealth but a com- 

 petence. 



An informal dinner was enjoyed at six 

 o'clock by about seventy-five persons. 



In the evening to an audience of about six 

 hundred. Dr. W J McGee gave his lecture on 

 " Greater Steps in Human Progress." 



His address combined in a rare degree such 

 facts as would attract men of the highest 

 scientific attainments and at the same time the 

 more popular audience also. It might be ex- 

 pected that such a title, " Greater Steps in 

 Human Progi-ess," would imply consideration 

 of the remarkable manufacturing and com- 

 mercial advances which have characterized the 

 last century. 



His plan, however, was to note various 

 habits and discoveries of men which indicate 

 evolution from a low physical and mental 

 equipment to the full exijansion of man's 

 faculties. Primitive men were unable to open 

 the palm of the hand so as to bring the thumb 

 in the same plane with the fingers. This was 

 shown by the aboriginal Philippine tribes 

 which Dr. McGee assembled at the St. Louis 

 Exposition. 



Primitive man is characterized by move- 

 ments of the hand and arm toward the body, 

 whereas his more highly developed descendant 

 directs these movements from the body. It is 

 the Anglo-Saxon who has shown this develop- 

 ment in the highest degree, and while in other 

 respects prize fighting is indicative of the 

 lower traits, in this one fact, namely, that the 

 motions of the arm in a well-directed blow are 

 from the body of the fighter, the prize fighter's 

 profession indicates high physical develop- 

 ment — a real step in progress. 



The sa-vage grasps a knife with the blade 

 held towards the body. Civilized man holds 

 the blade from the body. The mistress wish- 

 ing to judge the mental alertness of a prospec- 

 tive maid servant should hand her a plate and 

 towel noting the motion of the hand as the 

 maid wipes the plate. If the motion of the 

 right hand is clock wise the maid should be 

 considered a promising subject. 



At some length Dr. McGee illustrated the 

 fact that the development of " knife sense " is 



one of the greatest steps in human progress. 

 Primitive men used a rounded stone and had 

 no conception of the value of a sharp edge. 



Another one of the great steps, and indeed 

 the chief one, is in the use of fire. Man alone 

 of all created things employs fire. It required 

 long ages for men to learn the use of fire, and 

 this discovery has made possible the great de- 

 velopment of the hmnan race, socially, com- 

 mercially and intellectually. 



Finally the faculty of invention is one 

 which has contributed most forcibly and char- 

 acterized most materially the development of 

 the human race. 



The interest which was displayed through- 

 out the meeting, argues well for a successful 

 and useful career for the society. 



A. E. Crook, 

 Secretary 



THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The 195th meeting of the society was held 

 on November 20, 1907, Vice-president Camp- 

 bell in the chair and thirty-one members 

 present. 



Regular Program 



The following papers were presented: 

 Report on the Geological Work of the Third 



Petroleum Congress: David T. Day. 



The congress was called for September 8, 

 in the city of Bucharest, Roumania, but the 

 preceding days were also occupied in a geo- 

 logical excursion through the principal oil 

 field — that of the Prahova Valley. 



By means of a preparatory lecture by Pro- 

 fessor L. Mrazek, director of the Geological 

 Survey of Roumania, and by his continued 

 guidance on the trip, a particularly good view 

 was obtained of the complicated folding char- 

 acteristic of the south flank of the Transyl- 

 vanian Alps, where many well-marked anti- 

 clinals are evident, and along the axes of 

 which the oil is chiefly sought (and found). 

 The principal accumulations are closely asso- 

 ciated with overthrust faults. 



The congress visited principally the Bush- 

 tenari field, and had a good view of the geo- 

 logic structure in passing from Bushtenari to 

 Campina and to Moreni. In the latter field, 



