72 The American Geologist. January, i89s 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
The Mi-xhanical Action of the Divining-Rod. The review in 
Nature (Oct. 14th, 1897, pp. 568, 569) of a publication relating to the 
"divining rod" recalls to my mind a purely mechanical theory of that 
rod, which was given me years ago by a friend. 
This theory has been repeatedly tested by me and shown to be cor- 
rect in the presence of my classes. The process is exceedingly simple. 
Take any forked twig of reasonably tough fibre in the clenched hands 
with the palms upward. The ends of the limbs forming the twig-fork 
should enter the closed fist on the exterior side of each fist, i. e., on the 
two sides of the clenched hands furtherest from each other. 
When a twig is grasped in this position it will remain stationary if 
held loosely or with only a moderately firm grasp, but the moment the 
grasp is tightened the pressure on the branches will force the end of 
the twig to bend downwards. The harder the grip the more it must 
curve. 
The curvature of the twig is mechanically caused by the pressure of 
the hands forcing the limbs to assume a bent and twisted position; or 
the force that causes the forked limb to turn downwards is furnished by 
the muscles of the hands, and not by any other cause. 
The whole secret of the divining rod seems to reside in its position in 
the hands of the operator, and in his voluntarily or involuntarily in- 
creasing the closeness of his grasp on the two ends of the branches 
forming the fork. 
If the above conditions are fulfilled, the twig will always bend down- 
wards — water or no water, mineral or no mineral. Any one can be an 
operator, and any material can be used for the instrument, provided the 
iimbs forming the fork are sufficiently tough and flexible. 
It can be easily understood how an ignorant operator may deceive 
himself and be perfectly honest in supposing that some occult force, and 
not his hands, causes the fork to curve downwards. 
Michigan College of Mines, Dec. 8, iSgy. M. E. Wadsvvorth. 
Houghton , Michigan. 
PERSONAL AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
New York Academy of Sciences, Section of Geology, No- 
vember 15th, 1897. — The first paper of the evening was by Dr. 
F. J. H. Merrill, of the State Museum at Albany, entitled, 
"Geology of the Vicinity of Greater New York." 
Dr. Merrill considered the distribution, relations and structure of 
the crystalline, metamorphic and intrusive rocks east of the Hudson. 
