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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 501. 



the possibilities the empire affords, there is 

 no reason why our outlook should not be as 

 hopeful as that of the United States. The 

 resources at our disposal, the agricultural 

 possibilities within the empire, may well 

 be regarded as boundless; but we need to 

 make ourselves acquainted with them and 

 to take concerted measures to exploit them. 

 To this end, it is all-important to constitute 

 effective central organizations in this coun- 

 try similar to those which exist in the 

 United States. 



One other illustration may be given. In 

 New York, on the occasion of our visit to 

 the Museum of Natural History, Professor 

 Bickmore, to whom this magnificent mu- 

 seum owes its origin, favored us with an ac- 

 count of the manner in which material was 

 provided for illustrated free popular lec- 

 tures delivered at the museum, for the pur- 

 pose of making the people acquainted with 

 their country and its resources ; and he de- 

 livered a charming lecture to us in illustra- 

 tion of the work. The lantern slides pre- 

 pared in the museum are placed on sale, 

 so that they can be used for educational 

 purposes all over the country. The lecture 

 we heard was of a very popular character ; 

 it was quite clear, however, that pioneer 

 work of a most useful character was being 

 done. It was impossible not to feel that if 

 the resources of the British Museum were 

 were made known by sound popular lec- 

 tures and handbooks; if the museum, the 

 ordnance and the geological survey depart- 

 ments and the colonial office were to co- 

 operate with the education department in 

 making known the conditions which prevail 

 throughout our Empire, it would at once 

 be possible to put the teaching of history 

 and geography on a basis of fact and make 

 these subjects eminently attractive. The 

 geological survey exists as a branch of the 

 educational department, but its reports are 

 of technical rather than of educational 

 value ; they might well, in part, be so writ- 



ten as to be delightful essays on physical 

 geography suitable for school use, if only 

 a little thought were given to them from 

 this point of view. 



It is quite clear that the right spirit is 

 at work in the United States ; but the lack 

 of the critical faculty and of depth of pur- 

 pose, combined with an excessive develop- 

 ment of the utilitarian spirit, are serious 

 drawbacks at present and militate against 

 progress in education. Until higher ideals 

 prevail and sober calculation takes the 

 place of a somewhat emotional and super- 

 ficial consideration of its problems, it will 

 be difficult to introduce reforms. Here 

 our difficulty is to break through academic, 

 conservative traditions and to arouse an in- 

 terest in education ; that in reality it is the 

 most important of all subjects to be seri- 

 ously considered has never yet been made 

 clear to us either by preacher or by poli- 

 tician—the message awaits delivery and we 

 need more than anything else the man to 

 inake it heard. 



Henry E. Armstrong. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 

 The Metric Fallacy, by Trederick A. Halsey, 

 and The Metric Failure in the Textile In- 

 dustry, by Samuel S. Dale. New York, 

 D. Van Nostrand Company. 1904. Pp. 

 231. 



A bill was introduced in congress in 1902 

 with a view to the general adoption of the 

 metric system of weights and measures in the 

 United States. The committee on coinage, 

 weights and measures secured the views of a 

 number of prominent representatives of dif- 

 ferent professions, trades and manufacturing 

 interests, the majority of whom favored the 

 bill. A change of such fundamental impor- 

 tance required mature deliberation; and the 

 committee were disposed to allow the fullest 

 opportunity for discussion on the part of op- 

 ponents as well as advocates. The bill will 

 not be brought to a third reading for some 

 months yet, and congress will not be apt to 

 take any precipitate action. 



