13 



forms through that branch of the science known as "geomorphy," or some 

 times as the New Geology ; and much of our knowledge concerning the 

 glacial history of the continent has been acquired thereby ; but there is 

 nothing in the Reverend Professor Wright's numerous writings to indicate 

 the slightest comprehension of the principles of geomorphy. (L) 



In the fifth and sixth chapters ' ' ancient glaciers' ' are described at 

 dreary length; for the description is a melange of crude observation, 

 MISLEADING QUOTATION, and DECEPTIVE EGOTISM. Within 

 a generation glacial geology has made great strides, and nowhere has the 

 progress of the science been more rapid than in the United States. One 

 of the results of the brilliant researches by Chamberlin, Winchell, Salis- 

 bury, Gilbert, Smock, Leverett, and other geologists is the recognition of a 

 complex glacial history, including two, three, or more distinct ice inva- 

 sions separated by intervals of mild climate; a history so complex and 



(Note L) Geomorphy. Possibly Professor Wright, having much more 

 experience in glacial phenomena than Mr. McGee, has not as much faith in 

 McGee's new science as he himself has. At any rate it is hardly wise to 

 reproach Professor Wright with not expounding it to the nation in so small 

 a book as "Man and the Glacial Period," when McGee himself thinks it 

 necessary to inform scientists of the existence of the science. See another 

 tirade from McGee in Science for December, 1892, p. 317. He says: 

 "Dr. Brinton errs in saying 'as a glacialist the author of this volume stands 

 among the first in the country, and his long study of that remarkable period 

 in the geologic history of the planet invests every thing he says about it 

 with uncommon authority.' Within recent years there has grown up a new 

 branch of geologic science which has been called by its devotees 'Geo- 

 morphic Geology,' ' Geomorphology ' and still more acceptably ' Geomor- 

 phy,' and which is frequently spoken of as the 'New Geology.' It is 

 the function of geomorphy to read geologic history from earth forms as the 

 older geology read history from deposits and their fossils. * * * The 

 primary idea has extended and expanded until now the geologist not only 

 recognizes base levels in certain topographic forms but is able to determine 

 from steepness of slope and other topographical relations the rate at which 

 erosion has proceeded in the past and thereby the attitude and altitude 

 of the land during earlier ages." As with most of McGee's big words 

 these are not in the Century Dictionary, save geomorphy, there defined 

 (I hope "acceptably ") as "the theory of the figure of the earth." If 

 Mr. McGee dabbles in the new geology, it is to be hoped he may "read 

 geologic history from earth forms" more correctly than he has Professor 

 Chamberlin 's maps. It will, however, be difficult to determine the rate 

 of erosion on hills containing in some cases all slopes, and in many cases 

 different soils and rocks. 



