14 AWUAL REPORT OF THE 



REPORT OF THE STURGIS-HOOPER PROFESSOR OF 



GEOLOGY. 



By William M. Davis. 



In September and early October, 1907, I attended the centenary 

 celebration of the Geological Society of London, and before and 

 after the meeting made excursions in North Wales and the English 

 Lake district, in both of which the effects of glacial erosion were 

 prominently displayed. Regarding these features in North Wales, 

 I made a preliminary report at the New York meeting of the 

 National Academy in November, and spent much time through the 

 winter in preparing a detailed discussion of the various theories 

 that had been offered to account for them. 



As I was excused from most of the work of lecturing during the 

 year, my time was given chiefly to writing on three subjects. First, 

 an account of the physical geography of the United States for the 

 forthcoming edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Second, 

 a similar essay, but with greater attention to human conditions, 

 on North America, exclusive of Mexico, for a work entitled: "Die 

 Kultur der Gegenwart," now in course of publication. Third, 

 a handbook for laboratory work in schools, entitled "Practical 

 exercises in physical geography," the preparation of which has 

 occupied a share of time for four years past, and is now completed. 

 The object of this book is to indicate a series of exercises for labora- 

 tory work that shall be more disciplinary than those now com- 

 monly employed, if one may judge of present methods by the 

 laboratory note-books handed in at the time of examination by 

 candidates for admission to Harvard College. 



At the winter meeting of the Association of American Geogra- 

 phers in Chicago, and at the second annual gathering of geography 

 teachers in and near Boston, held in the Museum, March 28th, 

 I presented for discussion a plan for the systematic description 

 of land forms, under the title of "The method of structure, process 

 and stage," which has been gradually developed in the progress 



