Septembee 5, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



235 



Group 3 : Meteorology and Mareology, including 

 especially all questions presented by the mechanical 

 properties of the atmosphere and the oceans. 



Group 4: Terrestrial Magnetism and Terrestrial 

 Electricity. This group is intended to deal with 

 the magnetic and the electric properties of the 

 earth, including its atmosphere. 



The committee recommends that initially the 

 designation of members to constitute the proposed 

 Geophysical Section, be made by the National 

 Academy of Sciences. It is further recommended 

 that in making such designations regard be had to 

 the desirability of securing representatives from 

 the following government bureaus : 



Bureau of Fisheries, 



Bureau of Mines, 



Bureau of Standards, 



Coast and Geodetic Survey, 



Hydrographic Office, U. S. N. 



Geological Survey, 



Weather Bureau. 

 Similarly, the committee suggests that represent- 

 atives also may be fitly chosen from the following 

 national societies : 



American Astronomical Society, 



American Mathematical Society, 



American Physical Society, 



Geological Society of America, 



Seismologieal Society of America. 

 The committee further recommends that in 

 order to promote research and discovery in geo- 

 physical science in general steps be taken by the 

 American Section of the International Geophys- 

 ical Union toward the formation of a new society 

 to be called the American Geophysical Society. 

 Signed: K. S. Woodward, 



for the Comviittee 



This report was referred to tlie Division of 

 Physical Sciences of the IvTational Research 

 Council, and was considered by this division 

 at a special meeting- held on March 10, 1919, 

 called, in part, " to consider the organization 

 of a Geophysical Section of the division to 

 represent the division on the proposed Inter- 

 national Geophysical Union." After discus- 

 sion the Division of Physical Sciences voted 

 to recommend to the Coimcil of the Academy 

 and to the Executive Board of the National 

 Research Council. 



1. The approval of the organization of a Section 

 on Geophysics, to include the following groups' of 

 subjects: 



Geodesy, 



Seismology and Vulcanology, 



Meteorology and Aerology, 



Earth and Ocean Tides and Mareology, 



Terrestrial Magnetism, 

 with the provision that the exact designation of 

 subjects to be included and their grouping be de- 

 termined by the section after its organization, in 

 harmony with the general plans of the Interna- 

 tional Geophysical Union. 



2. That the question of the formation of a geo- 

 physical society be referred to the Geophysical 

 Section after its formation; 



3. That the initial membership of the Section on 

 Geophysics be constituted as follows: 



Messrs. J. F. Hayford, R. S. Woodward, William 

 Bowie, Joseph Barrell, Frank Schlesinger, A. 

 O. Leuschner, E. W. Brown. 



Messrs. H. F. Reid, J. C. Branner, H. O. Wood, 



A. L. Day, E. A. Daly, E. B. Sosman, Whit- 

 man Cross. 



Messrs. A. G. MeAdie, C. F. Marvin, W. J. 



Humphreys, E. H. Bowie, W. E. Blair, Max 



Mason, E. A. Millikan. 

 Messrs. G. W. Littlehales, J. T. Watkins, A. A. 



Michelson, F. E. Moulton, G. F. MacEwen, H. 



B. Bigelow. 



Messrs. L. A. Bauer, S. T. Barnett, R. L. Faris, 

 W. F. G. Swann. 



On April 15, 1919, upon recommendation of 

 Mr. A. O. Leuschner, acting chairman of the 

 Division of Physical Sciences, the executive 

 board of the National Research Council made 

 the following appointments : 



1. Acting Chairman of the American Section oj 

 the proposed International Geophysical Union, Mr. 

 William Bowie. 



2. A committee to prepare recommendations re- 

 garding international cooperation in geophysical 

 subjects for consideration by the American Section 

 of the proposed International Geophysical Union, 

 Messrs. E. S. Woodward, chairman, L. A. Bauer, 

 William Bowie, Whitman Cross, A. O. Leuschner, 

 0. F. Marvin and H. F. Eeid, with power to in- 

 crease its membership. 



At its first meeting, on May 20, 1919, this com- 

 mittee assumed the title. Provisional Executive 

 Committee, and added Mr. H. O. Wood to its mem- 

 bership as its secretary. 



3. A Committee on Variation of Latitude of the 

 American Section of the proposed International 

 Geophysical Union to confer with a similar com- 



