SCIENCE. 



FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1885. 



COMMENT AND CRITICISM. 

 The statement that one of the chief appUca- 

 tions of composite photography will be in the 

 direction of producing more rehable portraits of 

 representative men by combining the testimonials 

 of individual artists, will probably be accepted by 

 aU who have foUowed the short but interesting 

 career of this new invention. The suggestion that, 

 by combining the individual conceptions of several 

 artists, one would obtain a more reliable portrait 

 than any of the components, was near at hand. 

 The first such appUcation was made by Mr. Gal- 

 ton himseK. He made a composite of six me- 

 dallion heads of Alexander the Great, and natu- 

 rally claimed for the composite the combined 

 authority of all the artists ; for it is evident, that, 

 wliile each artist will very likely express the 

 general features of his subject, some peculiar 

 idiosyncrasies of his own are apt to creep in. The 

 composite sifts out all these common traits, and 

 presents them strong and clear, while it reduces 

 each artist's peculiarity to a scarcely perceptible 

 shadow. 



In this way we have recently come into posses- 

 sion of a new Shakspeare, for which we have to 

 thank ]Mr. Walter Rogers Furness. In the case of 

 Shakspeare the diversity amongst the several 

 originals is strikingly evident, and thus a com- 

 posite was needed to give a characteristic, indi- 

 vidual, natural face. This suggested to Mr. W. C. 

 Taylor the application of the same process to 

 Washington's porti-aits. He has grouped the several 

 portraits into three groups, owing to the differences 

 of position of the portraits, and the accuracy of 

 the work is well shown by the fact that the 

 agreement amongst the resulting three composites 

 is very close, while the originals show every shade of 

 individual differences. These portraits were first 

 published in the Journal of the Franklin institute, 

 and are given on a new and enlarged plate in this 

 number. The lower right-hand composite has 

 seemed to many the happiest result, and seems 

 likely to serve as the model for future portraits of 

 Washington. 



No. 149. — 1885. 



President Cleveland, in his annual message 

 to congress, referred to several matters of interest 

 to scientific men. Of the coast survey he says ; 

 "It was many years ago sanctioned, apfjarently 

 for a purpose regarded as temporary, and related 

 to a survey of our coast. Having gained a place 

 in the appropriations made by congress, it has 

 gradually taken to itself powers and objects not 

 contemplated in its creation, and extended its 

 operations until it sadly needs legislative atten- 

 tion. So far as a further survey of our coast is 

 concerned, there seems to be a propriety in trans- 

 ferring that work to the navy department. The 

 other duties now in charge of this estabhshment, 

 if they cannot be profitably attached to some 

 existing department or other bureau, should be 

 prosecuted under a law exactly defining their 

 scope and purpose, and with a careful discrimi- 

 nation between the scientific inquh-ies which may 

 properly be assumed by the government and those 

 which should be undertaken by state authority or 

 by individual enterprise. It is hoped that the 

 report of the congressional committee heretofore 

 appointed to investigate this and other hke mat- 

 ters will aid in the accomplishment of proper 

 legislation on this subject." The recommendation 

 to break up the present organization will certainly 

 be received with regret by the well-wishers of the 

 survey. For the signal service the president has 

 suggestions which will be received by many of 

 our readers with more favor. He says : " In view 

 of the fact referred to by the secretary of war, 

 that the work of this service ordinarily is of a 

 scientific nature, and the further fact that it is 

 assuming larger proportions constantly, and be- 

 coming more and more unsuited to the fix:ed rules 

 which must govern the army, I am inclined to 

 agree with him in the opinion that it should be 

 separately established." Of this service, also, the 

 president remarks that the scope of its operations 

 should be definitely prescribed. He seems to fear 

 that the scientific work carried on by the govern- 

 ment may get beyond bounds, the nature of which, 

 however, he does not define. At the close of the 

 message the attention of congTcss is called once 

 more to the need of providing quarters for the 

 library of the capitol, the books of which are now 

 kept in piles. 



