APPENDIX. 



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American Association for the Advancement of Science. — The annual 

 session of the American Association was held at Cambridge in Massa- 

 chusetts on the 14th of August, and the session continued until Tues- 

 day, August 21st, being the longest session yet held by this body. 

 A large number were in attendance from all parts of the country, and 

 the arrangements of the local committee were ample both for the per- 

 sonal accommodation of the members, and for the sessions of the sec- 

 tions. The division into two sections, 1. Of General Physics, and 

 2. Of Natural History, took place on the second day, and before the 



close of the meeting, a farther subdivision was made into four sec- 

 tions. 



The great improvement both in the quantity and quality of the matter 

 offered over any previous year was very observable to those who have 

 followed the sessions of this body from its origin in the Convention of 

 geologists at Philadelphia in 1840, to its present enlarged and compre- 

 hensive form of usefulness. It was obvious that the Association had 

 now become truly national in character, and had taken deep hold of 

 the feelings of men of science and investigators in all departments 

 or knowledge. This manifestation is the best earnest of the future 

 energy and prosperity of the Institution, and gives encouraging hope 

 for farther progress and greater usefulness. Dinner was provided 

 daily for the members in Harvard Hall, and on these occasions the 

 ladies enlivened the hour by their presence — which was extended also 

 t° the meetings of the sections. Numerous invitations were received 

 from eminent individuals and public bodies in the neighborhood to visit 

 various objects of interest in science, and on the day after the session 

 closed, several of the naturalists and others accompanied by ladies 

 Joined in a dredging excursion in Boston harbor. 



The Local Committee and the officers of Harvard College exerted 

 themselves in every way in their power to make the occasion one of 

 pleasure and profit to their guests, many of whom found the most 

 hospitable treatment at their hands, and all were so impressed with the 

 proprieties of the occasion that they will not soon forget the classic 

 shades of the University at Cambridge. 



. The next annual session of the Association is to be held at New Haven 

 £ Connecticut, on an invitation from the officers of Yale College. 

 Jf he President for 1850 is Dr. Alexander Dallas Bache, the Secretary 

 toward C. He 



The session 

 so to be a semi- 



hard C. Herrick, Esq., and Dr. Ellwyn, Treasurer. 

 ta kes place on Monday, Aug. 19th, 1850. There is als< 

 annual session, to be held at Charleston, South Carolina, in March, 1850. 

 We can give at this late moment only the list of memoirs read at 

 ls session, and in the order of the daily announcements. 



