Obituary. 467 



of seismological reports furnished by Dr. Klotz of Ottawa. A 

 series of reviews follow. In the following number it is proposed 

 to give a list of earthquake records for a large number of Ameri- 

 can stations in 1910. 



3. Commercial Geography ; by Edward VanDyke Robin- 

 son. Pp. xlviii, 455. 252 illustrations, including 100 maps. 

 New York and Chicago, 1910 (Rand, McNally & Co.). — A com- 

 mercial geography by an economist is a book of unusual interest 

 under any circumstances. ' In this case the book possesses high 

 distinction as well as interest and for .three main reasons. It is 

 very carefully written ; it applies economic theory to commercial 

 geography in a skillful and explanatory way and neither ignores 

 nor overdoes the effects of natural environment ; it follows the 

 regional method throughout with an evenness of treatment and a 

 skill in the selection of topics that makes every page well-bal- 

 anced and attractive. As a high-school text the book is far in 

 advance of the older group of commercial geographies. None 

 other has a style at once so vivacious and trenchant. In addition 

 the book goes a long way toward solving a difficult high-school 

 problem. Its combination of the physical, the commercial, and 

 the regional will appeal to school men who wish a broad geog- 

 raphy course and not a course in physiography alone or industry 

 or commerce. i. b. 



Obituary. 



Samuel Franklin Emmons, the geologist, died at his home 

 in Washington, D. C, in the morning of March 28th. Although 

 he had not been in good health for some time, his death, from 

 heart failure, was unexpected. 



He was born in Boston, Mass., on March 29, 1841 ; received 

 his education at Harvard University, graduating in 1861 ; and 

 then went abioad, where he remained for several years as a stu- 

 dent at the Ecole des Mines in Paris and the Bergakademie at 

 Freiberg in Saxony. 



Returning home in 1867, he joined the staff of the 40th Parallel 

 Survey newly organized by Clarence King. The other members, 

 as assistants to King, were J. D. Hague and Arnold Hague. 

 With the forming of this organization, and with the beginning of 

 its work in the field, it may be said, in a way, that a new epoch 

 in American geology began ; the former pioneer period, in 

 which geology was carried on, partly by states and partly indi- 

 vidually, by men largely self-trained, was henceforth to be suc- 

 ceeded by one in which such work was to be supplemented, and 

 largely replaced, by national organizations of men who, like 

 Emmons, had been specially trained and fitted as professional 

 geologists. From that time on Emmons remained continuously 

 in the service of the Government with the exception of two years, 

 1877—9, when he was engaged in managing a cattle ranch in 

 Wyoming. When the present U. S. Geological Survey was 



