PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 17 



survey which has long been in progress in the United States 

 has lately been completed. Two lines were carefully measured 

 as bases, one near the Canadian frontier in the North, the 

 other in Mexico. The junction of these has been completed 

 by a series of 68 triangulations, the resulting error being only 

 0.63in., shewing a wonderful degree of accuracy. A new 

 form of survey, much used in a limited way during the war, is 

 by means of photographs from aeroplanes which shew the 

 features of the country like a map. This has been carried out 

 to a certain extent in Africa; but owing to the similarity of 

 aspect of much of the country, it was found necessary to have a 

 piece of a river or some striking feature, to enable the photo- 

 graphs to be fitted together. A similar method has been applied 

 to photographing portions of the sea bottom; but it is presumed 

 that the water must be fairly clear. It is said that near Brest 

 several points of rock on the sea floor which had before 

 escaped notice were well shewn in the photographs. A large 

 model, 14 feet in diameter, of the volcano Kilauea on Hawaii 

 has lately been made for the Geological Museum of Harvard 

 University. It has always seemed to me that one can so 

 much more easily learn and realize important facts from 

 models than from photographs or drawings, that they are 

 very desirable articles in a Museum, but unfortunately they 

 are expensive. Three new expeditions to the Polar regions 

 are intended to be carried out this summer, viz. : the British 

 Imperial Antarctic Expedition, whose objects are to investigate 

 the mineral deposits, localities for whales, and the meteorolo- 

 gical and magnetic conditions in portions of the Antarctic 

 regions and to circumnavigate the Antarctic continent. The 

 other two are Arctic, one American, in which aeroplanes are 

 to be used, the other English, with a ship only. 



ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY. 



Very little is known about man in his earliest forms; and I 

 am not aware that any special addition has been made to our 

 knowledge in this respect since my last address. Nothing 





