ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. XXXIX 
ties that have been organized recently I come to our national socie- 
ties. The earliest of these is the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science. The first meeting of this association 
was held in Philadelphia in 1848, and was called to order by Pro- 
fessor William B. Rogers, of Virginia, who had taken a prominent 
part in its formation. Only one volume of memoirs has been pub- 
lished by the American Association, but its annual volume of pro- 
ceedings has been issued with regularity. This association has em- 
braced among its members nearly all the prominent scientific men of 
the country, and it is our most complete national scientific organiza- 
tion. Theplan of its formation seems to have been a good one, and I 
think it has exerted an excellent influence by bringing into acquain- 
tance and sympathy men from different parts of the country. Ia 
recent years its character has become more popular, and under the lead 
of its energetic secretary its membership has reached nearly two thou- 
sand. During its early days this society took an active part in dis- 
cussing the scientific operations carried on by the General Govern- 
ment, and its influence in this direction seems to have been wise. 
With the increase in the number of members such discussions have 
been judiciously avoided, and even the passing of resolutions, so 
common in all American bodies, might perhaps better be omitted. 
In such large bodies there is apt to be so much confusion and dis- 
pute that the resolutions are made extremely vague and meaning- 
less or are manipulated to suit the purpose of afew. There is 
another danger to this society arising from its easy conditions to 
membership and its rapid increase of members. Our country pro- 
duces a large number of men and women who are born with a mis- 
sion. Educated in the schools and colleges, but never attaining 
much distinction as scholars, these people begin in their own phrase 
to think for themselves. The result of this thinking is often some 
discovery in science, and one that contravenes doctrines estab- 
lished by long observation and study. The questions considered 
are generally vast and mysterious, such as the origin of gravitation, 
the nebular hypothesis, and the nature of force. Having made his 
discovery the author wishes of course to present it to the world, and 
what method is more convenient than through a scientific society, 
admission to which is so easy. And if we admit a person to mem- 
bership and take his money how can we refuse to listen to his 
theories. Who that has had the honor of presiding over one of 
the sections of the American Association, in casting his eye over 
