EDITOR'S TABLE. 



755 



and testing the various views and sug- 

 gestions that had been proposed, and 

 arriving at new and important conclu- 

 sions in regard to the causes of which 

 he was in search. He then subjected 

 these conclusions to elaborate experi- 

 mental verification by newly-devised ap- 

 paratus, and original researches in the 

 Royal Institution, with the attainment 

 of results which will probably take 

 their permanent place among the prin- 

 ciples of acoustical science. At any 

 rate, the subject, with its accumulated 

 difficulties, had never before received 

 so efficient a sifting and overhauling ; 

 and it was this that Prof. Tyndall meant, 

 and had a right to mean, by the phrase 

 "systematic inquiry into causes," in 

 which he characterized his work. The 

 writer in the Tribune can entertain his 

 own views as to what that phrase sig- 

 nifies in dealing with the phenomena 

 of Nature, but Prof. Tyndall will be 

 perfectly easy in leaving this matter 

 to the judgment of scientific men. 



THE AMEBIC Ay ASSOCIATIOy AT BUF- 

 FALO. 



The meeting of the American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science, 

 which began August 23d and lasted a 

 week, has been unusually successful. 

 There was a strong attendance of mem- 

 bers, and a greater number than at any 

 previous session of foreigners distin- 

 guished in science. A large number of 

 papers were contributed to the proceed- 

 ings, several of them important and of 

 marked originality. Prof. Rogers pre- 

 sided with characteristic dignity and 

 grace, and the retiring president, Prof, 

 llilgard, gave an instructive address, 

 devoted mainly to his own department 

 of study, and giving a sketch of the 

 progress of the scientific measurements 

 and mapping of the earth. 



And the meeting was a success so- 

 cially as well as scientifically. The cit- 

 izens of Buffalo extended their hospi- 

 tality in the most liberal manner to 



members and visitors, and the local 

 committee made efficient arrangements 

 for the accommodation of all who de- 

 sired it. There were the usual recep- 

 tions, which were largely attended and 

 much enjoyed. It is given to but few 

 places to favor their guests with so pleas- 

 ant a treat as a day at Niagara Falls. 



The Buffalo people owe their best 

 thanks to Mr. Secretary Grote, of their 

 young Academy of Sciences, for his 

 efficient agency in securing the meeting 

 to their town on this memorable year, 

 as Philadelphia was a powerful rival for 

 the honor. It is through this little sci- 

 entific society, which has had to strug- 

 gle on with insufficient means, sustained 

 by a few who were heartily interested, 

 that the citizens of Buffalo have been 

 roused to invite the convention and to 

 extend to its members so cordial a wel- 

 come. We hope that the stimulus thus 

 given to the public interest in scientific 

 subjects will bear permanent fruit and 

 result in establishing the Buffalo Acad- 

 emy upon a liberal and permanent foun- 

 dation. 



But, while Buffalo lias done its duty 

 admirably toward the Association, has 

 the Association in turn done its duty to 

 Buffalo? Is duty in such a case a 

 wholly one-sided thing, or are men of 

 science such lions that they pay off 

 their hosts by their bare presence ? We 

 do not suppose that the hospitable 

 Buffalonians had an eye to what was to 

 be got back from their guests, but obli- 

 gations were nevertheless incurred, and 

 it is proper to inquire how they were 

 met. The citizens of that town, having 

 no experience, did as those of other 

 towns always do on these occasions 

 promised themselves great pleasure in 

 attending the sessions of the Associa- 

 tion. They drifted in freely at the 

 opening meetings, but, after being pep- 

 pered for an hour with unintelligible 

 terms, they generally withdrew in a 

 quiet way, and with their ardor cooled 

 for discussions that could but little in- 

 terest people at large. 



