28 



THE AMEKICAN MONTHLY 



[February, 



ago, of attending tlie Buffalo meet- 

 ing of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science, will 

 never forget that meeting as dis- 

 tinguished not only by its high 

 scientific standard, but also by the 

 cordial, thoughtful and delicate 

 hospitality which made the week 

 memorable ; and from the prompt 

 acclamation with which the invita- 

 tion to meet in your city at this time 

 was accepted last year, I fear you 

 really have acquired a reputation 

 which will some time be trouble- 

 some. But for all this, we have 

 been pleasantly disappointed this 

 summer. We expected the careful 

 and convenient arrangements which 

 your committee have made for our 

 comfort and our work ; but we never 

 dreamed of their supplying us with 

 the coolest, not to say the coldest, 

 weather that was ever seen in the 

 midst of dog-days. 



" In one other respect our position 

 is peculiar. Our Society is in its 

 infancy, only one year old, and just 

 learning to walk, but though small 

 in years, its size is considerable, its 

 membership large, and those who 

 are interested in it represent not 

 only the various centers of scientific 

 culture, but also the most quiet and 

 secluded nooks in the country. We 

 are brought together by an enthu- 

 siasm almost unknown in any other 

 branch of science. We are stimula- 

 ted by the study of those little things 

 which lead a philosopher to call 

 God great in great things, greatest 

 in the smallest. 



" We meet with the expectation of 

 a most profitable session ; and we 

 thank you heartily for your interest 

 and encouragement." 



The business of the meeting then 

 proceeded. Dr. Carl Seller, of Phila- 

 delphia, was elected Secretary pro 

 tern., and Mr. Geo. E. Fell, of 

 Buffalo, Treasurer ^ro tern. The re- 

 gistration and election of new mem- 



bers occupied the remainder of the 

 first session. 



Afternoon Session. After the 

 election of new members. Prof. D. 

 S. Kellicott, of the State Normal 

 School of Buffalo, read a paper 

 entitled "Observations on Lerneo- 

 cera cruciatar Attention was first 

 called to the fact that very little 

 work had been done upon the ex- 

 ternal parasites of the fish. Dr. 

 Baird's ''■History of the British 

 Entoiiiostraoa " being the only work 

 treating of them in 1864, and al- 

 though some fifteen years had 

 elapsed since then and many papers 

 had appeared concerning the higher 

 forms of Crustaceas those treating 

 of the lower forms are very few. 

 " Few species have been described, 

 especially among such as are para- 

 sitic in our fresh-water fishes, while 

 the habits and history of still fewer 

 have been published." 



After making some remarks about 

 this group of parasites. Professor 

 Kellicott gave the results of his 

 studies of the Lerneocera cruciata. 

 The paper was very interesting and 

 valuable, and it was illustrated by 

 carefully prepared drawings. 



It was discussed by Prof. Albert 

 H. Tuttle of Columbus, Ohio, and 

 by the author. 



Prof. Tuttle then addressed the 

 Society " On the Structure of the 

 Spinal Chord in a Branch of Marsi- 

 pobranch Fishes." The paper was 

 illustrated by black-board sketches, 

 and sections of the human spinal 

 chord and of the spinal chord of 

 the lamprey were shown. Professor 

 Tuttle considered that the best way 

 to study the human brain was to 

 begin with observations on the 

 lowest classes of the vertebrata, and 

 work up. 



The subject was discussed by Dr. 

 Carl Seller, of Philadelphia, and 

 Prof. J. Edwards Smith, of Cleve- 

 land, Ohio. 



