Febrxjaet 7, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



217 



most of them are from, the author's own nega- 

 tives. The press work is excellent, and the 

 appearance of the volume is very attractive. 



The book is divided into two parts, the first 

 supposed to deal with physiographic processes 

 in general, and the second with physiographic 

 features of the United States, although this 

 scheme is not closely followed. In Part I. are 

 considered such subjects as the general fea- 

 tures of the earth's surface; the effect of the 

 " interior or building-up forces " and the " ex- 

 terior or tearing-down forces " on the surface 

 of the earth; the composition of the earth; 

 and the work of underground waters. In Part 

 II. we find a discussion of the plains, moun- 

 tains, valleys, rivers, lakes and shore lines of 

 the United States, the climate of the United 

 States and the subjects of forestry and irriga- 

 tion, as well as a general treatment of the 

 ocean and the air. 



As a source of good illustrations and much 

 interesting information, the book is of distinct 

 value. While appreciating the book's many 

 good points, the writer of this review is im- 

 pelled to point out what seem to him some 

 serious defects. 



It may be doubted whether any considerable 

 number of teachers of physiography will agree 

 with the author that photographs can ad- 

 vantageously replace good diagrams. The ab- 

 sence of such diagrams detracts from the 

 value of the present book. Both diagram- 

 matic and photographic illustrations are 

 needed in the ideal text. It is impossible to 

 secure photographs of many things which re- 

 quire illustration ; as, for example, the relation 

 of structure to topography in different types 

 of mountains. To depend upon the student 

 for the preparation of such diagrams does not 

 seem desirable. 



The lack of system in the selection and pre- 

 sentation of subject-matter throughout the 

 book constitutes, in the opinion of the re- 

 viewer, another serious defect. Physiographic 

 descriptions are frequently encumbered with 

 a large mass of geological details, interesting 

 in themselves, but having little or no relation 

 to surface forms. Two whole chapters are 

 devoted to The Composition of the Earth. 

 The conditions of ore deposition, and the 



methods of mining are of importance to stu- 

 dents of economic geology and mining engi- 

 neering; but it may be doubted whether it is 

 expedient to burden a text-book of physiog- 

 raphy with matter so irrelevant. The con- 

 sideration of stream action, instead of being 

 systematically presented in one place, is scat- 

 tered through several chapters, especially 

 chapters IV., The Exterior or Tearing-down 

 Forces; VII., The Sculpturing of the Land, 

 and XIV., Valleys and Canyons. In Part I., 

 General Physiographic Processes, we look in 

 vain for any discussion of such general topics 

 as ocean tides and currents, movements of the 

 air, formation and classification of clouds, the 

 origin of storms, etc. But we find two 

 chapters on these general subjects included in 

 Part II., under the title. The Physiography 

 of the United States. Sand dunes and glacial 

 accumulations are treated in chapter XII., 

 Mountains of the United States. Barrier 

 beaches and lagoons are in part treated under 

 Basins and Lakes of the United States, in 

 part under The Geography of Coast Lines. 



The author follows, to a limited extent, the 

 newer method of physiographic treatment in 

 which land forms are considered in their rela- 

 tion to stages of development in the geo- 

 graphic cycle. Such treatment is largely con- 

 fined to a single chapter, where the " geo- 

 graphic cycle," " new topography," " mature 

 topography " and " old topography " are 

 briefly considered. Elsewhere in the book we 

 find little application of this newer method, 

 although, in the opinion of the reviewer, it is 

 essentially important in a modern text on 

 physiography. 



Wlien we examine the details of subject-mat- 

 ter we find a number of statements which 

 many teachers of physiography would con- 

 sider open to criticism. The full-bodied, sub- 

 dued forms of the maturely dissected White 

 Mountains of New Hampshire are cited as 

 examples of " old mountains." It is implied 

 in several places (e. g., page 34) that fresh lava 

 is always rough and old lava smooth. The 

 implication that young mountains are those 

 which are still being uplifted and that old 

 mountains are those in which the uplift- 

 ing process has ceased (pp. 6, 126) might 



