256 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1289 



proposed International Geophysical Union, was 

 held in three sessions on June 24 and 25, 

 1919. 



FIRST SESSION 



The sad loss sustained by the section in the 

 death of Professor Joseph Barrell was an- 

 nounced by the acting chairman, Mr. Wm. 

 Bowie. 



The acting chairman made a brief state- 

 ment concerning the purpose of the section, 

 and gave a short sketch of the several meet- 

 ings previously held in connection with found- 

 ing the section. 



The following business was transacted. 



It was decided that the officers and members 

 of the section, and of the Provisional Ex- 

 ecutive Committee, temporarily appointed in 

 the section by the Division of Physical Sci- 

 ences, and by the Provisional Executive Com- 

 mittee, shall stand and hold office until the 

 meeting of the section for permanent organi- 

 zation after the Brussels conferences, which 

 have been scheduled to begin July 18, 1919. 



The section accepted the proposal of the 

 Division of Physical Sciences that it act as 

 the Committee on Geophysics of the division. 



The section is concerned with national as 

 well as international problems in geophysics. 



For the purjMse of accomplishing the ob- 

 jects of the section the Executive Committee 

 is authorized to ap]X)int from time to time 

 special committees to deal with problems of 

 national or international character. 



In the permanent organization of the Amer- 

 ican Section there shall be a chairman, a vice- 

 chairman, a secretary, and an executive com- 

 mittee, of which the three officers mentioned 

 above shall be ex-officio members. 



The members of the section who go to the 

 Brussels meeting are constituted a conunittee, 

 with jxiwer to add to its membership, to con- 

 sider permanent organization of the section. 

 After preparing a plan for organization this 

 committee is to report to a meeting of the 

 section, to be called at the discretion of the 

 acting chairman, for the purpose of perfecting 

 the permanent organization. 



A committee of three, consisting of Messrs. 

 Brown, chairman, Hayford and Humphreys, 



was apiwinted to make recommendations to 

 the section for increasing its membership by 

 the addition of men of science engaged in geo- 

 physical work or work in affiliated subjects, 

 who would strengthen the section and provide 

 cross-connections with various branches of sci- 

 ence in which the section is directly interested. 



The statements in regard to the past history, 

 present status and scientific purposes of the 

 specified international scientific organizations 

 were presented and accepted. 



After a brief discussion it was found to be 

 the sense of the meeting that neutrals should 

 be admitted to the International Geophysical 

 Union. 



Attention was called to certain interna- 

 tional organizations not previously specified 

 in the discussions of the committee which it 

 was thought desirable to have affiliated with 

 the International Geophysical Union. 



The following delegates and alternates rec- 

 ommended for election by the Executive Com- 

 mittee were approved and elected : 



Messrs. L. A. Bauer, Wm. Bowie, A. O. 

 Leuschner, G. W. Littlehales, C. F. Marvin, 

 H. F. Eeid, H. C. Graves, J. T. Watkins, 

 Captain Edward Simpson, the three latter 

 also being delegates to the London Hydro- 

 graphic Conference; and as alternates, Messrs. 

 W. J. Humphreys, J. F. Hayford, W. J. 

 Peters. 



A report of the Committee on Variation of 

 Latitude, carrying tlie following recommenda- 

 tions, was approved: 



1. That the observations for variation of lati- 

 tude, their reduction, and their publication be in- 

 trusted to the International Astronomical Union. 



2. That the continuity of the observations by the 

 present methods at the four international varia- 

 tion of latitude stations, Ukiah, California; Car- 

 loforte, Italy; Mizusawa, Japan, and Charjui, 

 Turkestan; be maintained, as far as practicable, 

 and that the matter of utilizing the observations 

 made at other stations be considered. 



3. That the question of renewing variation of 

 latitude observations in the southern hemisphere be 

 considered. 



4. That, inasmuch as no definite plan can be ad- 

 vanced for defraying the expense of the variation 



