816 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL. No. 1040 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 

 Introductory Oeology, a Text-hooh for Colleges. 



By Thomas C. Ohamberlin and Eollest D. 



Salisbury. New York: Henry Holt & Co. 



1914. Pp. xi + 708. 5|X 8 inches. Price 



$2.00. 



In comparison with this latest product by 

 geologist and printer there stands before the 

 writer a long row of early treatises and texts 

 in geology, American and English, dating 

 from the early part of the last century. The 

 contrast is great, both in matter and illus- 

 trations. These old books seem very crude 

 and it is difficult for us to realize the limita- 

 tions of scientific thought before Lyell showed 

 the uniformity of nature's processes and laid 

 in physical evolution the foundation for bio- 

 logic evolution. Much space in the older books 

 is used in proof of matters which are now 

 common knowledge of educated people, and 

 the illustrations are ludicrously poor. Even to 

 fifteen years ago publishers tabooed photo- 

 graphic reproductions and regarded hand en- 

 graving as the only artistic and proper illus- 

 tration. Modem photography has brought the 

 far-away geologic and physiographic features 

 to the secluded student, and thus qualified the 

 aphorism that the first, second and third re- 

 quisites of the geologist are travel. 



From 1840 to 1860 the leading text-book in 

 geology was that of Edward Hitchcock, which 

 in 1860 had run to the 30th edition. The 

 civil war distracted attention from scientific 

 studies and for many years the only prominent 

 book in geology was Dana's Manual, on which 

 the older geologists now living were nurtured. 

 Up to about 1900 the works of Dana and Le- 

 Conte had fair possession of the schools. 

 Ohamberlin and Salisbury's geology in three 

 volumes was published in 1905-1906, since 

 which time the new books in geology and 

 physiography " speak volumes " for the popular 

 interest in earth science. Much of this regard 

 may be traced to the popularizing of physio- 

 graphic geology, led by Davis. The profuse 

 photographic reproduction of natural features 

 has been a stimulant to the magazine readers 

 and encouragement to the authors and printers, 

 while the commercial world has been interested 



through the economic study of the earth now 

 specially emphasized by the national and state 

 geologic surveys. 



The book under review is the latest word 

 (to-day) in general geology and probably the 

 finest example of the bookmaker's art in works 

 of the class. A duodecimo volume of 700 pages 

 is made of practical size by the use of thin, 

 fine-quality paper of medium finish. It was 

 wise to change from the heavy, highly glazed 

 paper used in the three-volume work and to 

 sacrifice a trifle of the quality or clearness of 

 the halftones and the maps, for the gain in 

 other respects. By not wasting space on wide 

 margins a four-inch measure is secured for 

 the excellent letterpress. As in the larger 

 work, the insets carry impressions on both 

 sides. The 10-point type, wide measure, with 

 forty lines to the page, coupled with the con- 

 densed style and brief treatment of less impor- 

 tant topics, has produced a book of reference 

 value in practical size for students' use. The 

 general arrangement of the matter is in the 

 usual order. 



It will be generally conceded that the senior 

 author has preeminence in America in philo- 

 sophic geology. Consequently the book will 

 be recognized as a very high authority, espe- 

 cially on the philosophic or theoretic side. As 

 should be expected with this authorship there 

 is much original matter, though some of the 

 text and most of the illustrations are derived 

 from the same authors' larger work. The 

 text is in their characteristic terse and rather 

 technical style. They do not attempt the 

 impossible task of making geology simple and 

 easy to the average college student. 



No competent teacher will find in this book 

 everything that he wishes nor all that he needs 

 with the proper emphasis for his particular 

 region. The body of geologic knowledge has 

 become so vast that a single volume can do 

 no more than generalize. The physiographic, 

 geologic and climatic characters are so very 

 different in the several provinces of America 

 that no book of practical size and moderate 

 cost can adequately present the special or local 

 features. For example: over great areas of 

 our northern lands the glacial phenomena are 



