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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



of workers. Ample accommodations 

 were provided in the new State-Honse, 

 where all the meetings could be held 

 under a single roof. The citizens of 

 Indianapolis, who as a community are 

 busy in turning the achieved results of 

 science to profit, were enthusiastic in 

 welcome and kindnesses. 



The more noteworthy papers, includ- 

 ing the official addresses, well befitted 

 the name of the body, and were true to 

 its declared purposes of promoting in- 

 tercourse between students and encour- 

 aging more active and more systematic 

 research ; and a considerable proportion 

 of them were at the same time happily 

 adapted to the average intelligence of a 

 public audience and in the direction of 

 popular questionings. 



Retiring President Mendenhall treat- 

 ed in his address of the relations that 

 exist and should exist between scien- 

 tific students and the public. While he 

 sought to determine how far men of 

 science are responsible for any lack of 

 cordiality that may exist, he demon- 

 strated to business men, by means of a 

 very happy illustration, that they are 

 enjoying direct benefits from the results 

 of abstract research to a far greater ex- 

 tent than they realize or imagine. His 

 remarks, on both sides of this subject, de- 

 serve particular attention. Vice-Presi- 

 dent Branner, considering the relations 

 of State and National Geological Sur- 

 veys, endeavored to sketch a plan of 

 combined action, under which the party 

 of either side could do the work proper 

 for it without encroaching upon the 

 field of the other, and room be left 

 for individual research. Vice-President 

 Dodge, in the Economic and Statistical 

 Section, set forth in a pleasant light the 

 advantages enjoyed by the producing 

 classes in the United States in relation 

 to the standard of living. In relating the 

 present condition of knowledge respect- 

 ing the variable stars, Prof. Chandler 

 had a subject that involves research of 

 the highest order, of which at the same 

 time every one desires to be informed. 



In a large number of the sectional pa- 

 pers, too, the sober dignity of the sci- 

 entific method was combined with adap- 

 tation to the tastes of hearers of a prac- 

 tical turn. 



Societies outside of the sections and 

 complementary to them continue to 

 grow around the Association. The meet- 

 ings of the Society for the Promotion of 

 Agriculture were lively and practical; 

 those of the Geological Society were 

 more technical in tone. The Entomo- 

 logical Club insisted on the extension 

 and enlargement of the study of insects. 

 An Ornithological Society was formed, 

 and went at once to talking about birds. 

 The Botanical Club held its eighth an- 

 nual meeting. Prof. Britton, under in- 

 structions from the Toronto meeting, 

 gave an account of the present state of 

 systematic botany in North America. 

 A National Chemical Society was pro- 

 jected. 



The fact that this was the fiftieth 

 meeting of the Association does not 

 seem to have received special attention 

 further than a mention in Prof. Men- 

 denhalFs address. The fact that the 

 Association has maintained its vigor and 

 has prospered during half a century is 

 evidence that it has had a place of use- 

 fulness and has filled it. The question 

 now arises whether, if it would meet the 

 demands of the future as successfully as 

 it has met those of the past, it will not 

 have to adapt itself anew to the changed 

 conditions of science and the country 

 and to the present popular demand for 

 scientific knowledge, which are very 

 different now from what they were 

 when it began. 



The doors of the Association were 

 thrown open to members of foreign so- 

 cieties, who will be admitted hereafter, 

 with full privileges, without fees; and 

 provision was made for inviting to the 

 next meeting representations of the sci- 

 entific societies of Mexico and Central 

 and South America. The following 

 officers were chosen for the ensuing 

 year : 



