BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 



VOL. 31, PP. ssi-S'^e September 3o, 1920 



STEUCTURAL AjSTD PETROGRAPHIC GEOLOGY ^ 



BY JAMES F. KEMP 



{Read before the Society December SI, 1919) 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Examples of teaching methods 351 



Earlier methods as exemplified by Professor Agassiz 351 



The modern method 352 



Petrographic interpretation as taught by Professor Berkey 354 



Importance of full personal reference to the work of prominent geologists 355 



Examples of teaching Methods 

 earlier methods as exemplified by professor agassiz 



In that priceless human document, "Autobiography of Nathaniel 

 Southgate Shaler/' the author tells us of his entry, in 1859, into the 

 laboratory of Prof. Louis Agassiz and of the methods of instruction which 

 then and there prevailed. Professor Agassiz gave him a rusty tin basin 

 and seated him at a small pine table in front of a window in a greatly 

 crowded room, 15 feet wide by 30 feet long. His neighbors were Alpheus 

 Hyatt, F. W. Putnam, A. E. Verrill, E. S. Morse, Richard Wheatland, 

 and Caleb Cook. 



Professor Agassiz supplied him with a small fish, taken from a bottle 

 of old alcohol, whose fragrance is described by our author as a ''stench." 

 To his inquiry, "What shall I do ?" the Professor replied, "Find out what 

 you can without damaging the specimen. When I think you have done 

 the work I will question you." The new student was, furthermore, 

 sternly bidden to talk with no one else concerning it, and not to read 

 anything relating to fishes without permission. In an hour young Shaler 

 considered himself prepared to report, but the Professor paid no atten- 



1 Manuscript received by the Secretary of the Society January 5, 1920. 

 This paper is one of a series composing a symposium on the teaching of geology and 

 paleontology. 



(351) 



