2 GILBERT 



In 1879 the Anthropological Society of Washington was in- 

 stituted, the movement being begun by antiquaries and carried 

 forward by anthropologists. Its chosen field, indicated by its 

 name, was one which had previously been covered by the Phil- 

 osophical Society, so that there was a distinct overlap of func- 

 tion. In the following year the biologists, feeling the need 

 for a separate series of meetings, prepared to organize. As 

 biology also was within the field already occupied by the Phil- 

 osophical Society, it was perceived by members of that organi- 

 zation that the institution of a new society for biological work 

 would trench still further on the material brought before its own 

 meetings, and the question was raised whether differentiation 

 might not be advantageously accomplished within its own body. 

 A new rule was adopted permitting the organization of sections 

 for the consideration of special subjects, each section to have its 

 own officers and hold its own series of meetings. Under this 

 provision a Section of Mathematics was afterward constituted, 

 but the plan did not fully meet the desires of the biologists and 

 they accordingly proceeded to institute a separate society, the 

 Biological Society of Washington. 



By the organization of the Anthropological and Biological 

 Societies the scientific men of Washington recognized the im- 

 portance for certain purposes of differentiation according to sub- 

 ject-matter ; but they recognized also the value of integration, 

 and two years after the creation of the Biological Society an 

 attempt was made to bring together the Philosophical, Anthro- 

 pological, and Biological Societies under a form of confedera- 

 tion involving the constitution of a new body to be called The 

 Academy. After much discussion the plan was formulated by 

 a joint committee of conference and was submitted in the fol- 

 lowing report : 



Report of Joint Comf?iittee of Co7iference^ May j, 1882. 



The joint committee, composed of the several committees appointed 

 by the Philosophical, Anthropological, and Biological Societies of 

 Washington to consider the desirability of a federation of those societies, 

 recommend to the several societies a federation on the following basis, 

 and for the purposes set forth : 



