PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLTTECKNIC ASSOCIATION. 469 



Since the adjournment of this association, in June last, many 

 scientific jouraals have been received freighted with the rich trea- 

 sures of recent isivostigation. To these, however, I do not projjose, 

 this evening, to direct your attention. 



Several scientific societies have met duriwg the past summer. 

 One of these meetings I attended, partly in an individual capacity 

 ^uid partly as the representative of the American Institute, I have 

 <leemed it my duty to report to you some of the more important 

 proceediiigs of that body. 



The American Association, for the advancement of science, after 

 a silence of five years, resumed active operations at Buffalo, N. Y.^ 

 on the 15th of August last. Its meetings were held in th^ 

 .splendid edifice of tlie Young Men's Association, which contains 

 a reading room for ladies, as well as gentlemen; a valuable cabi- 

 net of minerals, the gift of Mr. Wadsworth; a large colleetion of 

 organic remains, principally copies of specimens now in European 

 museums; also, rooms devoted to the fine arts: the whole is in 

 connection with St James' Hall, in which the Hon. George W. 

 Clinton delivered an admirable address of welcome to the Ameri- 

 ean Association, to which President F. A. P.' Barnard made a 

 felicitous reply. 



After one section on Natural History and another on Physics 

 and Mathematics were organized, the members proceeded to busi- 

 ness. I do not propose to notice the papers in the order in which 

 they were read, but only to speak of those which came more 

 immediately under my own observation. 



Two papers were read by Prof Loomis, of Yale College, neither 

 Slaving at present any practical bearing. The first, " On the phy. 

 sical condition of the sun's surface and the movement of the solar 

 spots," contained no new observations, but gives a graphic 

 description of the shape, shading and movement of the solar 

 spots; their direction being from east to west, with a decrease of 

 angular motion near the equator. The second paper, '-On the 

 period of Algol," contained several ingenious surmises, which, of 

 course, cannot lead at present to an}'' satisfactory conclusion. 

 Algol belongs to that remarkable class of orbs which are subject 

 to periodical fluctuations in brightness. In a little less than three 

 days its light increases from that of a star of 2.3 magnitude to 

 that of the 4th, then decreases to its minimum intensity. Prof. 

 Loomis gave the observations of Argelander, in 1854 and 1856; 

 Masterman, in 1859, and his OAvn in 1865, as well as earlier 



