January 3, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



39 



faint variables have, for the past two years, been 

 regularly maintained with the 18-ineh Clark re- 

 fractor of the Amherst College Observatory. The 

 observations are visual estimates and are accurate 

 to tenth-magnitudes. They were much facilitated 

 by the use of an external iris diaphragm, enabling 

 the use of all apertures from 3 to 18 inches. The 

 remarkable fluctuations of this star are repre- 

 sented on a diagram prepared by Mr. Hudson. 



REPORTS OF COMMITTEES 



Professor Campbell sent a written report from 

 the Committee on Cooperation in the Measurement 

 of Eadial Velocities. The response of all the 

 members of the committee was to the effect that 

 though they might wish to cooperate, their instru- 

 mental resources were too weak to attack a long 

 list of stars below the 5.0 visual magnitude where 

 cooperation is desirable, and further, that fields 

 of greatest usefulness for them consisted in the 

 study of spectroscopic binaries or special groups 

 of stars. In short, cooperation in the determina- 

 tion of radial velocities of extensive lists of stars 

 fainter than the 5.0 mag. is at present impractical. 

 The report ended with some hopeful suggestions. 

 The report of the Committee on Asteroids, sent 

 by the chairman, Professor E. "W. Brown, stated 

 that the principal problems of those interested in 

 the asteroids is to gather data for future discus- 

 sion, the orbits, the light variations, etc. The first 

 problem is the collection of the observations of 

 position. Some organization to secure more nearly 

 uniform observation of the many asteroids, to care 

 for the new ones, to make certain the securing 

 of a requisite number of early observations, to 

 furnish an early orbit, should be perfected. An 

 international conference on the asteroid problem 

 is desirable. 



The Committee on Comets, Professor G. C. Com- 

 stoek, chairman, reported that the work of collect- 

 ing data of photographic observations of Halley's 

 comet was practically complete. The catalogue is 

 ready for publication. The committee proposes to 

 publish this together with the photographs secured 

 by Mr. EUerman at Honolulu. 



Professor Schlesinger presented the report of 

 the Committee on Photographic Astrometry. The 

 10-inch photographic telescope described in the 

 last report has been mounted and put in operation. 

 It is mounted in a constant temperature room 

 having access to the polar region through a window 

 of optically plane parallel glass. Exposures made 

 from without and automatically timed on the 



chronograph give very exact data for determining 

 the polar point. The methods developed for 

 measuring and reducing the plates were described 

 and some numerical results presented. This work 

 will be continued at least until the spring of 1913, 

 by which time it is expected that definite knowl- 

 edge will be secured concerning the movement of 

 the pier mounted ui this way. 



The financial report showed an indebtedness of 

 about $200. Dr. John A. Brashear announced the 

 purpose of certain Pittsburgh friends of the 

 society to clear this indebtedness. This unpre- 

 cedented generosity was gratefully acknowledged. 



The report of the Committee on Teaching of 

 Elementary Astronomy is of more general interest, 

 so it is given in full. 



Eeport of Committee on Cooperation in Improve- 

 ment of Teaching Elementary Astronomy: 

 C. L. DoouTTLE, chairman. Eeport prepared by 

 Miss Sarah F. "Whiting. 



Your committee was authorized at the Ottawa 

 meeting to send out a circular to the observatories 

 and colleges asking certain questions in reference 

 to the teaching of elementary astronomy, and 

 requesting suggestions as to methods of increasing 

 the numbers in elementary courses, and improving 

 the teaching. 



A circular was sent out with the following pre- 

 amble, to show the intent of the society: 



' ' The Astronomical and Astrophysical Society 

 of America states in its constitution that its pur- 

 pose is the ' advancement of astronomy. ' 



"At its late meeting in Ottawa, Canada, it was 

 mindful of the fact that the advancement of 

 science depends not only on the discovery of new 

 truth, but on the diffusion of knowledge, and the 

 scientific spirit which creates a friendly atmos- 

 phere for its reception. The society considered 

 the deplorable ignorance of persons, otherwise 

 intelligent, in regard to the every-day phenomena 

 of the sky, and the fact that astronomy lags 

 behind the other sciences in adopting the modern 

 method of laboratory work by the student. ' ' 



Questions followed in reference to the beginning 

 courses and methods of teaching. 



Eighty replies were received, which may be 

 considered representative, since twenty were from 

 state universities, thirty from other universities 

 and colleges of first rank, and thirty-two from 

 smaller colleges and schools. Only ten reported a 

 beginning course in astronomy extending through 

 the academic year; thirteen reported two terms 

 or a semester's work, and the other forty-two only 



