Geographic Literature 



53 



sition of each mineral, its locality and 

 its uses. In the case of the more im- 

 portant ones, he adds the method of 

 manipulating and fashioning them for 

 commercial purposes: Often he quotes 

 from well written, popular accounts of 

 these processes. As he gives the tech- 

 nical as well as common names, a per- 

 son of average intelligence can readily 

 appreciate what is said. His scheme 

 of classification provides for 14 great 

 groups, as carbonates, sulphates, nitrates , 

 etc. Illustrations abound, specimens 

 in the National Museum being freely 

 called into service. Brief select bibliog- 

 raphies are found where needed. A 

 good index ends the volume. C. M. 



Dodge's Elementary Geography* By 



Richard Elwood Dodge. Illustrated. 



Pp. 231. 8 by 10 inches. Chicago, 



New York, London: Rand, McNally 



& Co. 1904. $0.75. 



A splendid conception is this volume 

 based upon, that of starting with what 

 the child knows the most about, and 

 gradually proceeding to other and larger 



notions, until the whole world is in- 

 cluded. The young learner here begins 

 with his home, and passes from that to 

 the village, the town, government, land 

 surface, water, atmosphere, transporta- 

 tion, and maps. Then he is led into a 

 general description of the different por- 

 tions of the globe. It is all told in a 

 simple language, and most abundantly 

 and beautifully illustrated. But it is to 

 be feared that, being a university pro- 

 fessor who prepared it, he has shot over 

 the youthful heads. Certainly some of 

 the maps, such as those on pages 66, 

 67, 129, must be too detailed for this 

 grade of pupils. There is also too much 

 reliance in the text on mere memory, 

 very little of connected idea being ap- 

 parent in the way of cause and effect. 

 There is much confusion of thought on 

 pages 68 and 69 on "heat belts" and 

 "the hot belt." Figure 366 is Japa- 

 nese, not Chinese. Yokohoma is not a 

 fine harbor as that phrase is understood. 

 Of course the maps are well done, and 

 the suggestions are first class in many 

 instances. C. M. 



NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY 



ANNUAL MEETING 



THE annual meeting of the National 

 Geographic Society will be held 

 at Hubbard Memorial Hall, corner Six- 

 teenth and M streets, Washington, D.C., 

 January 13, 1905, at 8 p. m. Eight 

 members of the Board of Managers are 

 to be elected to fill vacancies caused by 

 the expiration of the term of office of 

 the class of i902-'4, as indicated in the 

 list of Board of Managers published on 

 another page of this Magazine. Nomi- 

 nations for these positions will be pre- 

 sented by a committee on nominations 

 named by the Acting President, but ad- 

 ditional nominations may be presented 

 at the annual meeting by members of 

 the Society. The annual report of the 

 Secretary will be presented, summariz- 

 ing the work of the Society during the 

 year 1904 A lecture by Mrs W. H. 

 Norton, wife of the United States Consul 



to Harput,on ' ' Travels in Asia Minor, ' ' 

 will be given, taking the place of the 

 usual annual address by the President. 



The Board of Managers expresses the 

 hope that members of the Society will 

 attend and participate in this annual 

 meeting. The following amendment to 

 the By-laws, which has been approved 

 by the Board of Managers, will be pre- 

 sented for action by the Society : 



Article IV (Officers), section 1. Omit the 

 sentence " Of the eight members elected at 

 each annual meeting, not less than four nor 

 more than six shall be residents of the District 

 of Columbia." 



The section will then read : 



Section i. The administration of the So- 

 ciety shall be entrusted to a Board of Managers 

 composed of twenty-four members, eight of 

 whom shall be elected by the Society at each 

 annual meeting, to serve for three years, or 

 until their successors are elected. A majority 

 of the votes cast shall be necessary for elec- 

 tion. 



O. P. Austin, Secretary. 



