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Rh above all we should not admit any man of an unworthy type, any man concerning whom we can say that he will himself be a bad citizen, or that his children and grandchildren will detract from, instead of adding to, the sum of the good citizenship of the country."

R WILLIAM E. CURTIS in his public letter of December 12 says that cable dispatches from China bring the news that the empress dowager has issued an edict requiring all of the soldiers in the army to wear European dress and cut off their queues. Her orders have already been obeyed in the province of Honan. The viceroy of Honan, who has been so prompt in carrying out these instructions, has a son being educated in the United States, and the youngster had not been six weeks in this country before he cut off his own queue to escape the teasing of his schoolmates. The viceroy was greatly shocked when he heard the news, because a young man without a queue in China is quite as conspicuous as a young man with one would be in the United States. It was difficult to reconcile the old gentleman to the situation, but he seems to have obeyed imperial orders in that respect very promptly.

FREDERICK MAY DETWEILER, of the firm of Judd & Detweiler„ printers, who have printed the Na- tional Geographic Magazine for 15 years, died at his home in Washington, November 9, 1904, at the age of 74. Mr Detweiler was elected a member of the National Geographic Society in 1889.

GEOGRAPHIC LITERATURE

Starting with the earth as a planet, Professor Tarr, in successive chapters, treats the physiographic features of our globe, finally winding up with man, whose advance he very rapidly sketches down to the period of civilization. Being intended for secondary classes, the au- thor very properly confines his effort to stating in clear, simple language the main results that have been generally agreed upon by the majority of investi- gators. He avoids the great disputed questions or very briefly considers both sides. His general aim is descriptive rather than philosophical or theoretical ; for instance, he does not attempt to ex- plain that distressingly difficult subject of high tides on opposite sides of the earth at the same time. In the main his statements are lucid and direct, and the whole book is most admirably suited for the grade of pupils that it appeals to. The "summaries," of which there are several hundred, should every one be stricken out. Predigested food is disas- trous for developing powers of thought. There are several appendixes and a very- useful index. C. M. The Non-Metallic Minerals* Their oc- currence and uses. By Geo. P. Mer- rill. Illustrated. Pp. xi + 414. New York : John Wiley & Sons. 1904. $4.00. Although our author necessarily uses scientific symbols, his language is so* simple and clear in the descriptive por- tions, that he has furnished a very in- teresting and valuable book that appeals to both the educated general reader as well as to the specialist. Usually he gives the scientific formula and compo-