NOTES BY THE EDITOR 



ON THE 



PEOGEESS OF SCIEXCE FOE THE YEAE 1856. 



THE Tenth Meeting of the American Association for the Promotion 

 of Science was held at Albany, commencing August 20th, Prof. Hall 

 in the chair. The meeting was by far the largest which has thus far 

 been held, and the citizens of Albany, both in their public and private 

 capacity, received the members with a most generous hospitality. 

 The session continued until the 28th, when it adjourned to meet on 

 the 12th of August, 1857, at Montreal, in compliance with an invita- 

 tion from the City Council and Natural History Society of that city. 

 The officers appointed for the ensuing year are Prof. J. "W. Bailey of 

 "West Point, President ; Prof. A. Caswell of Providence, Vice-Presi- 

 dent ; Prof. John Le Conte of South Carolina, General Secretary ; 

 and Prof. J. Levering of Cambridge, was continued as Permanent 

 Secretary. 



The whole number of Papers contributed was one hundred and six- 

 teen : 65 in the section of Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry ; 44 

 in the section of Natural History ; and 7 in Ethnology. 



In addition to the usual sessions of the Association there were two 

 exercises of extraordinary character, and indeed of extraordinary inte- 

 rest for the country. On the 27th, the inauguration of the State Geo- 

 logical Hall took place. Addresses were made by Profs. Agassiz, 

 Hitchcock, Dewey, Henry, and others. A merited tribute was paid to 

 the memory of the late Dr. T. Komeyn Beck of Albany, and resolu- 

 tions of respect to his memory w^ere passed by silently rising. 



On the following day (Thursday) there was the inauguration of the 

 Dudley Observatory, when the Hon. Edward Everett delivered to an 

 audience of five thousand, an oration of great power, admirably adapted 

 to the occasion. 



The following resolutions were passed by the Association : 



