Training of a Geologist. — J 'an Hisc 155 
alogy. To advance the theory of ore deposition or metamor- 
phism, one must know not only the principles of physical 
geology, with all that implies ; but he mu^t have a working 
knowledge of chemistry, mineralogy, and petrology. It is 
unnecessary to add that a geologist must be aljle to read 
some of the modern languages, and be able to express him- 
self clearly and logically in one language. 
Considering the breadth and thoroughness of the necessa- 
ry preliminary training for the successful pursuit of geology, 
one might anticipate that geology would sufifer but little from 
pseudo-scientists. But this anticipation is based upon the idea 
that no one attempts geological work, and especially to write 
geological papers, until he is prepared to do so. All sciences 
have their cranks. Alany a little town has its philosopher who 
believes that all of the principles of astronomy, of physics, of 
chemistry, which have been discovered by the great men of 
the past, are absolutely erroneous, and who makes a new start 
upon the construction of the world, building out of his brain 
strange vagaries which have no relation to the facts of the uni- 
verse. While there are temptations to pseudo-scientific work 
in all sciences, the temptation is nowhere so great as in geology. 
The planets, sun and stars, are far ofif ; the elements are elu- 
sive ; to do anything with force one hiust have at least seen the 
inside of a physical laboratory: the manner of the transforma- 
tions of living forms is not obvious, or even apparently so, 
and few write about the constitution of plants and ani- 
mals who have not closely studied them. But one is born 
upon the earth ; he lives upon the earth ; he sees the surround- 
ing hills and valleys. The dullest sees something of the trans- 
formations going on. Manv naturally become interested in 
the phenomena of the earth and, Avithout preparation, think 
that they are able to make important contributions to the 
subject of geology. Thus not only in every city, but 
in many villages, is a geologist of local repute who has ready 
explanations for the order of the world. 
Geology starts as an easy observational study, and gradu- 
ally becomes more and more complex until it taxes the master 
mind to the utmost. This easy start leads to the multitude of 
local geologists, but geology suffers com])aratively little from 
them. The real iniury which the science receives is from 
