RECORDS. 57 



Report of the Co^sfmittee to Advance the Interests 

 OF the Biological Section of the American Asso- 

 ciation FOR THE Advancement of Science. 



This committee was appointed in the belief that the members 

 of the Society of Naturalists can, by cooperation, lend valuable 

 aid to the Section of Biology of the American Association. In 

 general, the committee have reached the conclusion that there are 

 several measures which, if put forward and carried into eflect, 

 will increase the efficiency, raise the standard, and widen the 

 interest in the work of the above Section. At present there is 

 little opportunity offered for the introduction or discussion of any 

 reform measures in the crowded sessions of the Section, although 

 we are fully confident that the general sentiment among the 

 members is in sympathy with any changes that will tend to place 

 the proceedings of the Section on a higher plane. 



The work of the committee during the past year has been 

 mainly in the line of correspondence and consultation upon such 

 measures as can be most advantageously proposed at the next 

 meeting of the Association. Previous to the Philadelphia meet- 

 ing, in September, Professor Cope kindly adopted a suggestion 

 by the committee, and, as president of the Biological Section, sent 

 a special invitation to the biologists of the British Association, 

 inviting them to take part in the Philadelphia meeting. 



The committee have finally agreed upon the following sugges- 

 tions, which, if they meet with the approval of this Society, may, 

 we hope, be carried into effect during the coming year : — 



1. The proposal, by the vice-president, of two or three ques- 

 tions relating to Biology, of especial current interest, to be brought 

 before the Section for discussion ; these questions to be com- 

 municated to members in advance, through the usual bulletins of 

 the Association. This step has already been taken in two other 

 Sections of the Association, and has shown very good results. 



2. At the direction of the vice-president, a number of invita- 

 tions should be sent to English and other foreign biologists to take 

 part in the work of the Section, or send abstracts of recent dis- 



