Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 47.djvu/289

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POPULAR MISCELLANY.
279

Stockbridge, Horace Edward. Rocks and Soils; their Origin, Composition, and Characteristics New York: John Wiley & Sons. Pp. 283.

Thomson, William, M. D., Philadelphia. The Practical Examination of Railway Employees. Pp. 18.—A New Wool Test for the Detection of Color Blindness. Pp. 11.

Vermenle, C. C. Geological Survey of New Jersey; Report on Water Supply, etc. Trenton. Pp. 96, with Maps and Plates.

Vincent, Frank. Actual Africa; or, The Coming Continent. New York: D. Appleton & Co. Pp. 541. $5.

Wahl, W. H. The Franklin Institute. A Sketch of its Organization and History. Published by the Institute, Philadelphia. Pp. 103.

Webster, Daniel. The Oration on Bunker Hill Monument, the Character of Washington, and the Landing at Plymouth. American Book Company. Pp. 101. 20 cents.

Wiley, Harvey W. Principles and Practice of Agricultural Analysis. Easton, Pa.: Chemical Publishing Company. Vol. I, Soils. Pp. 607.—The Synthetic Food of the Future. Pp. 24.

Winchell, N. H., State Geologist. The Geology of Minnesota, Vol. Ill, Part I, of the Final Report Minneapolis. Pp. 540, with 41 Plates.

Wright, Carroll D., United States Commissioner of Labor. The Slums of Baltimore, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. Washington: Government Printing Office. Pp. 620.

Wright, G. F. Glacial Phenomena of Newfoundland, Labrador, and South Greenland. Pp. 8.



POPULAR MISCELLANY.

Death of Professor Dana.—Prof. James Dwight Dana, the veteran American geologist, died at his home in New Haven, Conn., of disease of the heart, April 14. He had been apparently in good health, manifesting no signs of weakness other than by taking his walks less frequently, but on the morning before his death was attacked with a nervous fluttering of the heart, which, being not uncommon with him, was not regarded as serious. After sleeping for a while at night, he awoke feeling worse, and died before the doctor was able to reach him. A brief sketch of Prof. Dana's life and work up to that time was given in the third number of The Popular Science Monthly, July, 1872. Besides the books and published papers mentioned in that article he has since revised the text-books and manuals of geology and mineralogy, bringing them up to very recent dates; added to his works The Geological Story Briefly Told and a small volume on the New Haven region entitled The Four Rocks; contributed numerous papers on scientific subjects to the journals in which they appropriately found a place; and edited the American Journal of Science to the end of his life. He continued to serve in his professorship in Yale College till 1892, when he asked the corporation to appoint his successor, and Prof. H. S. Williams was elected; but he continued, at the request of the corporation, to deliver his lectures till January, 1894. After this he finished the revision of his Manual of Geology, which has been published recently; continued his contributions to the American Journal of Science; kept up his investigation of the phenomena of the Hawaiian volcanoes, for which he made a recent visit to the Sandwich Islands in 1887; and completed a short work on Cephalization, or a system of classification based upon progressive nerve centering in the brain. He was a man of lovable disposition and high personal character; and he held honors, memberships, or medals from most of the important scientific societies of the world. The complete list of his books and published papers given in the American Journal of Science contains two hundred and fourteen titles. It begins with a paper on the Condition of Vesuvius in 1834, published in 1835, and ends with the fourth and revised edition of the Manual of Geology, which Prof. Dana finished in February, 1895. A month later he had completed the manuscript of a new edition of The Geological Story, and then began work on a new edition of the Text-Book.

Treatment of the Morally Defective.—The question of the treatment proper to be applied to the morally defective was treated with considerable effectiveness by Prof. A. J. McClatchie, in a lecture delivered at Pasadena, Cal. The speaker first named the influences under which persons became criminals. Many are born of convicts or of criminals who have escaped punishment, and hence have a natural tendency to be morally deranged. Other persons are surrounded by unfavorable circumstances, and, being weak, are drawn into a life of crime against their will. Others are quick-tempered, irritable, supersensitive, and liable at any time to be provoked to do that which they would not do in soberer moments. Others are born of good parents and have good surroundings, but under certain circumstances—such as the influence of bad associates—and in their weakness yield gradually to temptation, and thus slowly develop into criminals. Shutting these per-