I 84 SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. 



EIGHTH MEETING, AT NEW YORK CITY. 



December 37, 1SS9. 



Lecture-Room 15, Columbia College. 



MORNING SESSION. 



President Goodale in the chair. Sixteen n'iem])ers present. 



The President appointed — 



Samuel F. Clarke, 

 George Macloskie, 

 E. A. Andrews, 



a committee to andit the Treasurer's Report. 



Samuel F. Clarke reported on behalf of the Committee on 

 Science Teaching in the JSchools. (The text of the report has 

 been joined with that made at the next session, and will be found 

 in that portion of the minutes.) 



The report was accepted, and a continuance of the Committee 

 voted. 



The President's address was then delivered. 



Gentlemen, — I invite you to consider next the perplexing 

 general question of Science in the Schools. This question has, 

 at some time or other, in some form or other, engaged the atten- 

 tion of every member of the Society. To its consideration we 

 have devoted much time in our annual sessions, and we have 

 asked some of the most judicious and experienced teachers in our 

 ranks to give it their special study, and to report to the Societ}^ the 

 results of their deliberations. One of these reports of progress, 

 characterized by thoroughness and acuteness, is before us in print, 

 and has doubtless been examined with interest by every j^erson 

 now present. 



It is not with any expectation that I can add anything of 

 much \aluc to a report which is well-nigh exhaustive, that I 

 venture to bring before you a single phase of this ever-recurring 



