EARLY YEARS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. 505 



had just held a meeting at Montreal, and from other foreign 

 bodies. 



The division of the association into sections began at the De- 

 troit meeting in 1875, when two sections were formed : Section A, 

 Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry ; and Section B, Natural 

 History. At the second Montreal meeting in 1882 a much more 

 extended subdivision was made, the following having been estab- 

 lished : Section A, Mathematics and Astronomy; B, Physics; C, 

 Chemistry ; D, Mechanical Science and Engineering ; E, Geology 

 and Geography ; F, Biology ; G, Microscopy ; H, Anthropology ; 

 I, Economic Science and Statistics. In 1886 Section G was united 

 with Section F, and in 1893 Section F was divided into Section F, 

 Zoology, and Section G, Botany. The name of Section I was 

 changed in 1895 to Social and Economic Science. 



A notable feature of recent meetings of the association has 

 been the large number of affiliated societies which meet at about 

 the same time. The first of these was the Society for the Promo- 

 tion of Agricultural Science, which was organized at Boston in 

 1880. Others were added from time to time, till at Brooklyn, in 

 1894, there were nine, viz., 

 the Society for the Promotion 

 of Agricultural Science, So- 

 ciety for the Promotion of En- , ^'^ 

 gineering Education, Ameri- ^ 

 can Mathematical Society, 

 American Chemical Society, 

 American Microscopical So- 

 ciety, American Forestry As- 

 sociation, Association of Eco- 

 nomic Entomologists, Asso- 

 ciation of State Weather 

 Services, and American Geo- 

 logical Society, besides the 

 Botanical and Entomological 

 Clubs of the association. At 

 Brooklyn also was organized 

 the American Botanical As- 

 sociation. It has been doubt- 

 ed whether these numerous 

 societies do not detract from 

 the interest in the main asso- 

 ciation, and action was taken 

 at the second Springfield meeting in 1895 in the direction of mak- 

 ing them business meetings rather than meetings for the reading 

 of papers. 



Meetings have been held since the war in Maine, Vermont, 



Frederick A. P. Barnard, Prc.siclent A. A. A. S. 

 first Buffalo meeting, 1866. 



