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DECRESCENT 299 DEED cause. Formerly, in England, the term ■was specially used for the judgment of a court of equity, but the word judgment is now used in reference to the decisions of all the divisions of the Supreme Court. The word is still used in Scot- land for the final judgment of a court, frequently in the form decreet. DECRESCENT, a heraldic term by which the wane of the moon is indicated. A moon decrescent is a half-moon with her horns turned to the (heraldic) sin- ister — i. e., the right of the spectator. DECRETALS, a general name for the Papal decrees, comprehending the re- scripts (answers to inquiries and peti- tions), decrees (judicial decisions by the Rota Romana) , mandates (official in- structions for ecclesiastical officers, courts, etc.), edicts (Papal ordinances in general), and general resolutions of the councils. The decretals form a most important portion of the Roman Catho- lic canon law, the authoritative collec- tion of them being that made by the or- ders of Gregory IX. and published in 1234. DEDHAM, a town of Massachusetts, the county-seat of Norfolk co. It in- cludes three villages and is on the Charles river, and on the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad. Though it is chiefly a residential sub- urb of Boston, it has important indus- tries, including manufacturies of cotton and woolen goods, carpets, handker- chiefs, and pottery. The notable build- ings include a memorial hall, a public library, and the Historical Society build- ing. It also contains a county court house, a jail, and a house of correction. The town was settled in 1636 and was incorporated in the same year. The first free school in America was established herein 1645. Pop. (1910) 9,284; (1920) 10,792. DEDUCTION, in logic, as opposed to induction, is the method of reasoning from generals to particulars, as the lat- ter is from particulars to generals. In- duction is the mode by which all the materials of knowledge are brought to the mind and analyzed ; deductions, the process by which the knowledge thus acquired is utilized, and by which new and more complicated inductions are rendered possible. Thus every step in a deduction is also an induction. DEE, the name of several British rivers. (1) A river of Scotland, partly in Kincardineshire, but chiefly in Aber- deenshire, one of the most finely wooded and one of the best salmon rivers in Great Britain. It rises on the S. W. border of Aberdeenshire, and flows sren- erally E. 87 miles to the Gei'man ocean, having Aberdeen at its mouth. (2) A river of north Wales and Cheshire; rises in Lake Bala, Merionethshire; flows N. E., N., and N. W. to the Irish Sea 20 miles below Chester; length, about 80 miles. The ancient Britons held its waters sacred. (3) A river of Scotland, county of Kirkcudbright, rises in Loch Dee, a lonely lake, 7 furlongs long and from IJ/j to 4 furlongs wide, situated among the western hills. It flows S. E. and S., and falls into Kirkcudbright Bay; length, 38 miles. DEED, an instrument in writing or in print, or partly in each, comprehending the term of a contract or agreement, and the evidence of its due execution be- tween parties legally capable of entering into a contract or agreement. In the United States, the formalities required for the transfer of real estate are governed by local laws. Generally throughout the States, signing, sealing, attestation, acknowledgment, and de- livery are the essential requisites of a valid deed of conveyance. The usual form of attestation being "signed, sealed, ac- knowledged, and delivered in the pres- ence of us witnesses," then follow the names of the subscribing witnesses. The grantor must himself sign the deed, or if it is signed by his agent he must adopt the signature as his own in the presence of the subscribing witnesses and the commissioner or other qualified officer. In the United States, a "deed," techni- cally speaking, is an instrument under seal; hence a seal, although a mere for- mality, is essential, except in those States in v/hich seals have been abol- shed by statute. Neither wax nor wafer s necessary for a seal, although a wafer s generally used. A scroll with a pen nclosing the letters "L. S." is a seal within the meaning of the law, if it is the intention of the party appending it to adopt it as his seal, and by its use a specialty is created, the same as by the use of wax or wafer. It is not necessary to refer to the fact of sealing in the attestation clause. The number of wit- nesses required is governed by statutes in most of the States. Generally two are required, but in some of the States only one witness is necessary if the grantor can read. It has been held that inde- pendent of any statute, a deed signed, sealed, and delivered, without being ac- knowledged or recorded, is valid as be- tween the parties and their privies, but the provisions of a local statute as to the execution of a deed must be strictly fol- lowed, or the deed is inoperative. Delivery, although essential to the validity of a deed, need not be formally made in the presence of witnesses, but