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SCIENCE 



[Vol. LVI, No. 1444 



perhaps the most successful meeting since the 

 organization of the division and, in the opinion 

 of those who attended at least, thoroughly- 

 justified the policy of the Executive Commit- 

 tee, maintained in the face of some opposition, 

 to hold the annual meetings in rotation in 

 widely separated centers of population 

 throughout the Pacific Coast region. 



While Salt Lake City is somewhat isolated 

 geographically with respect to the major por- 

 tion of the membership of the division, and its 

 inaccessibility prevented the attendance of 

 many who would have attended a meeting in 

 a coastal city, nevertheless the number in 

 attendance exceeded the expectations of the 

 committee and comprehended a very good rep- 

 resentation of the active scientists of the 

 Pacific Coast. Besides, owing to the coopera- 

 tion of the National Association which called 

 a summer session at the same time and place, 

 many distinguished men attended from the 

 middle west and eastern points. 



The general sessions and the meetings of the 

 affiliated societies were accommodated at the 

 University of Utah, which is beautifully 

 located in the eastern part of Salt Lake City 

 on a plateau commanding a view of the great 

 valley which is geologically famous as Ancient 

 Lake Bonneville. 



Eleven affiliated societies united with the 

 Pacific Division in holding meetings upon this 

 occasion as follows : 



The American Physical Society. 



American Meteorological Society. 



American Phythopathologieal Society, Pacific 

 Division. 



Ecological Society of America. 



Pacific Coast Entomological Society. 



Pacific Slope Branch, American Association of 

 Economic Entomologists. 



Pacific Division, Physiological Section, Botan- 

 ical Society of America. 



Seismological Society of America. 



The Society of American Foresters. 



Utah Academy of Sciences. 



Western Society of Naturalists. 



Sessions of extraordinary interest were re- 

 ported in each case and many significant 

 papers were presented which it is hoped will 

 find publication in the various technical jour- 

 nals if not in the organs of the association. 



In addition to the regular meetings of the 

 affiliated societies there was a meeting of the 

 agronomists and soil experts which resolved 

 itself into an "Alkali Congress" in which the 

 experience in reclaiming alkali soils in various 

 sections of the west was presented with great 

 mutual benefit. It was determined to organize 

 a permanent association which would affiliate 

 with the Pacific Division and hold regular 

 meetings in future. 



The general sessions of the Pacific Division 

 were well attended and of more than usual 

 interest. Dr. John A. Widtsoe addressed the 

 Eesearch Conference, speaking on "The re- 

 search problems of the Great Basin." 



The address of the retiring president, Dr. 

 Barton Warren Evermann, on "The conserva- 

 tion and proper utilization of our natural 

 resources," provoked a warm eulogium from 

 President George Thomas, of the University of 

 Utah, and from Dr. L. 0. Howard. A pleasant 

 feature of this session, which came as a sur- 

 prise to the recipients no less than to the audi- 

 ence, was the conferring of the degree of 

 doctor of laws upon Dr. Barton Warren Ever- 

 mann, president of the Pacific Division and 

 director of the Museum of the California 

 Academy of Sciences, and Dr. James Harvey 

 Robinson, associate of the New School for 

 Social Eesearch of New York City. With im- 

 pressive ceremony the degrees were conferred 

 by President George Thomas, of the Univer- 

 sity of Utah, who stated that the honor had 

 been conferred but six times previously in the 

 history of the university. 



Of peculiar interest and significance at this 

 time was the session devoted to the symposium 

 on "The Problems of the Colorado River." 

 The great reclamation project, which contem- 

 plates the utilization of the waters of the 

 Colorado River for power and irrigation, 

 involves the more or less conflicting rights of 

 seven states. The thorough discussion of the 

 scientific phases of this subject was of absorb- 

 ing interest, and will prove to 'be a direct con- 

 tribution to the furthering of the project. The 

 papers presented in this symposium will doubt- 

 less be published in Science. 



A notable feature of the convention was the 

 address by Dr. James Harvey Robinson, which 

 appeared in a recent number of Science. 



