Geology and Mineralogy. 519 



13. Plane Geometry ; by C. I. Palmer and D. P. Taylor. 

 Edited by G. W. Myers." Pp. v, 277. Chicago, 1915 (Scott, 

 Foresrnan and Co.). — " The main aim of the authors in the prepara- 

 tion of this text has been to approach abstract reasoning by a 

 method that is natural and comprehensible to the youthful mind, 

 and to vitalize the subject-matter, — making it both interesting 

 and useful through a wide range of practical applications." The 

 salient points of the plans which have been adopted for the attain- 

 ment of this end may be outlined as follows : (a) The experi- 

 mental or inductive method is used to some extent throughout 

 the book, but it is especially prominent in the earlier pages. 

 After the student has acquired full comprehension of the funda- 

 mental propositions he is required to demonstrate them in the 

 classical, formal, deductive manner, [b) Actual work in geome- 

 try is begun at once without the usual array of definitions, axioms, 

 and principles. In general, formal definitions and axioms are 

 placed in the text at the point where they are first needed, but 

 not until after the student is prepared to appreciate them by hav- 

 ing had a partial survey of the subject, (c) The exercises consti- 

 tute one of the most prominent features of the book. They are 

 very numerous (1239), carefully graded, both practical and theo- 

 retical, and interesting. (d) The proofs of the more difficult as 

 well as of the earlier theorems are given in full, but, as the work 

 progresses, a gradual elimination of jM'oofs is made thereby throw- 

 ing the student more and more on his own resources, (e) The 

 work has been planned so that practical applications maj r be made 

 as early in the course as possible. To this end, the chapter on 

 areas precedes the one on similarity because it furnishes a great 

 variety of applications to matters of everyday life. 



Special care has also been taken to make the pages as useful 

 and attractive as possible. For example, Gothic type and italics 

 are judiciously employed, the line diagrams and half-tone illus- 

 trations are neat and clear, a combination linear scale and pro- 

 tractor may be found in a pocket on the inside of the cover, 

 formulas for reference are tabulated, and an index is appended. 

 Unquestionably the book merits the careful consideration of all 

 progressive teachers of elementary plane geometry. h. s. u. 



II. Geology and Mineralogy. 



1. Publications of the United States Geological Survey, 

 George Otis Smith, Director. — Recent publications of the U. S. 

 Geological Survey are noted in the following list (continued 

 from pp. 85-87, July, 1915): 



Monograph, Volume L1II. The Pleistocene of Indiana and 

 Michigan and the history of the Great Lakes ; by Frank 

 Leyerett and Frank B. Taylor. Pp. 529; 32 pis., 15 figs. 



Professional Papers. — No. S7. Geology and Ore Deposits 

 of Copper Mountain and Kasaan Peninsula, Alaska; by Charles 

 W. Wright. Pp. 110; 22 pis., 11 figs. 



