OCTOBEE 2, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



497 



on physiologj^, and Mrs. F. C. Torrance to be 

 assistant in mathematics. Mr. Richard E. 

 Dodge has been promoted to an associate pro- 

 fessorship of natural science, and Miss E. B. 

 Sebring to an associate professorship of the his- 

 tory of education. 



Mr. James R. Bailey, M. A., a graduate of 

 the University of Texas, after a three years' 

 course at the University of Munich, has just 

 been appointed instructor in chemistry in his 

 alma mater. He will be associated with Prof. 

 Henry Winston Harper. 



A POST-GRADUATE course of bacteriology has 

 been established at the University of Sydney, 

 N. S. W. 



Dr. H. Minkowski, professor of mathemat- 

 ics in the University of Konisberg, has been 

 called to the Zurich Polytechnic Institute. Dr. 

 Graeif, of the University of Freiburg, i. Br. , has 

 been made assistant professor of mineralogy 

 and petrography. Prof. Erismann has resigned 

 the chair of hygiene at the University of Mos- 

 cow. 



DISCUSSION' AND COBBESPONDENCE. 



GEOLOGY IN THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 



OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Under this title* Prof. T. C. Hopkins has 

 collated some very interesting data concerning 

 the teaching of geology in the United States, 

 which, if properly analyzed, cannot fail to im- 

 press upon the reader the fact that in some 

 branches, at least, our university instruction is 

 not only defective, but largely in the hands of 

 amateurs. 



As is well known, geologic study and re- 

 search are not only growing in favor, but are 

 now recognized as essential in any institution 

 offering instruction in pure science. Moreover, 

 the practical application of geologic truth earns 

 for geology a place in many of the technical 

 schools. That so important a study should be 

 so neglected by American universities and col- 

 leges is, indeed, surprising. In Mr. Hopkins' 



* ' Geology in the Colleges and Universities of the 

 United States, ' by T. C. Hopkins, being Chapter III. 

 of the forthcoming Report of the Commissioner of 

 Education, United' States Bureau of Education, 

 Washington, 1896. 



paper 382 institutions are reported as teaching 

 geology. By an examination of the' tables fur- 

 nished, corrected in a few instances by refer- 

 ence to the text, I find but 54 of that number 

 offer instruction exceeding one year in length. 

 Of the 54 thus selected four are not recognized 

 in the body of the report as possessing any pro- 

 fessional merit. Of the 50 now remaining 40 

 have established separate chairs, while 10 have 

 geology combined with some other subject. 



Another fact is interesting in this connection : 

 The Geological Society of America, an associa- 

 tion embracing, it is thought, not less than 90 

 per cent, of the trained geologists of this coun- 

 try, is represented in but 58 of the 382 institu- 

 tions.* In the 50 institutions of reputation ,^ 

 giving instructions exceeding one year, the 

 Geological Society is represented in 39 ; in the 

 40 with separate departments it is represented 

 in 34. 



The conclusion to be drawn is now apparent, 

 viz. : That the instruction offered in the majority 

 of American universities and colleges is given 

 by amateur geologists, who claim no recogni- 

 tion in the science they teach ; offer no contri- 

 butions ; conduct no investigations ; who are 

 content to read with a class or hear a class 

 recite. The true teacher must be able not only 

 to read a text, but to interpret a text as well, 

 and, what is of still greater importance, read 

 nature and interpret her actions. A teacher 

 inspires a student in precisely the degree in 

 which he himself is inspired. If he be a ' text- 

 book geologist,' it is reasonable to expect that 

 his students will take their geology from books 

 rather than from nature ; if he be a ' working 

 geologist' that his students will seek the field, 

 will frequent the laboratory. 



The point I wish to make is this : Without a 

 doubt the majority of institutions are teaching 

 geology in an utterly inadequate manner, with- 

 out proper facilities and by means of teachers 

 unknown and unrecognized in the science. 

 Some of these may be doing fairly good work ; 

 but the presumption is that the work will not, 

 cannot, be of a high order. 



But the mischief does not end here. Stu- 

 dents from these institutions go forth with the 



*See list of Fellows, April 1896, Bulletin of the 

 Geological Society of America, Vol. VII., p. 530, et seq. 



