N ERLE SPARKS

VOLUME X.

BRAVE DEEDS
Edited by JOHN TOWNSEND TROWBRIDGE

VOLUME XI.

WONDERS OF EARTH, SEA AND SKY
Edited by EDWARD SINGLETON HOLDEN

VOLUME XII.

FAMOUS TRAVELS
Edited by GEORGE A. HENTY

VOLUME XIII.

SEA STORIES
Edited by CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY

VOLUME XIV.

A BOOK OF NATURAL HISTORY
Edited by DAVID STARR JORDAN

VOLUME XV.

HISTORIC SCENES IN FICTION
Edited by HENRY VAN DYKE

VOLUME XVI.

FAMOUS BATTLES BY LAND AND SEA
Edited by JOHN D. LONG

VOLUME XVII.

MEN WHO HAVE RISEN
Edited by HAMILTON WRIGHT MABIE.

VOLUME XVIII.

BOOK OF PATRIOTISM
Edited by

VOLUME XIX.

LEADERS OF MEN, OR HISTORY TOLD IN BIOGRAPHY
Edited by WILLIAM RAINEY HARPER

VOLUME XX.

FAMOUS POEMS
Selected by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH,
with Poetical Foreword by EDITH M. THOMAS.

[Illustration: A GEYSER]

Volume XI: WONDERS OF EARTH, SEA AND SKY

Edited by EDWARD SINGLETON HOLDEN

Boston
Hall and Locke Company Publishers

1902

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi

THE MARVELS OF NATURE xiii
BY PROFESSOR E.S. HOLDEN.

WHAT THE EARTH'S CRUST IS MADE OF 1
BY AGNES GIBERNE.

AMERICA THE OLD WORLD 45
BY LOUIS AGASSIZ.

SOME RECORDS OF THE ROCKS 77
BY N.S. SHALER.

THE PITCH LAKE IN THE WEST INDIES 97
BY CHARLES KINGSLEY.

A STALAGMITE CAVE 111
BY SIR C. WYVILLE THOMSON.

THE BIG TREES OF CALIFORNIA 119
BY ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE.

WHAT IS EVOLUTION? 127
BY PROFESSOR EDWARD S. HOLDEN.

HOW THE SOIL IS MADE 135
BY CHARLES DARWIN.

ZOOeLOGICAL MYTHS 143
BY ANDREW WILSON.

ON A PIECE OF CHALK 171
BY T.H. HUXLEY.

A BIT OF SPONGE 205
BY A. WILSON.

THE GREATEST SEA-WAVE EVER KNOWN 211
BY R.A. PROCTOR.

THE PHOSPHORESCENT SEA 228
BY W.S. DALLAS.

COMETS 251
BY CAMILLE FLAMMARION.

THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 1883 261
BY E.S. HOLDEN.

HALOS--PARHELIA--THE SPECTRE OF
THE BROCKEN, ETC. 268
BY CAMILLE FLAMMARION.

THE PLANET VENUS 282
BY AGNES M. CLERKE.

THE STARS 2