Apeil 30, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



107 



" Biographical Memoir of Chas. A. Schott," 

 Cleveland Abbe. 



" The Distribution of the Recent Crinoids," 

 Austin H. Clark (introduced by Theo. Gill). 



" On the Distribution of Energy in the Spec- 

 trum of the Light from Fluorescent Substances," 

 E. L. Nichols and Ernest ISlerritt. 



" A Geographical Excursion in Northern Italy," 

 W. M. Davis. 



THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS 



The annual meeting of the American Society of 

 Naturalists was held in the auditorium of the 

 Physiological Building, Johns Hopkins Medical 

 School, Baltimore, Md., December 31, 1908. Fifty- 

 five members were present. 



On vote of the society the address of the re- 

 tiring president. Professor D. P. Penhallow, in 

 his absence, was read by the chairman. Professor 

 T. H. Morgan. It is printed herewith. 



A discussion of the functions and relations of 

 the society followed, participated in by delegates 

 from some of the aiSliated societies and by Pro- 

 fessors Minot, Davenport, Baldwin and Cattell. 

 This resulted in an emphatic vote in favor of 

 preserving the integrity of the society and of 

 establishing a more effective cooperation between 

 its sections. Professor C. B. Davenport offered a 

 motion that the constitution be amended so 

 that the executive committee of the Naturalists 

 be composed of the secretaries of Sections F, G 

 and K of the American Association and of the 

 secretaries of the technical biological societies 

 aflSliated with the Naturalists, the same to form 

 a program committee for the arrangement of 

 papers, times and places of meeting, etc. This 

 motion was referred to the executive committee 

 with power to act. 



Professor T. H. Morgan, on behalf of the execu- 

 tive committee, moved first that the study of 

 evolution be the general policy of the society for 

 the ensuing year; second, that the program con- 

 sist of original contributions on the subject of 

 evolution and of reports, demonstrations, etc., of 

 important recent work in this field. The society 

 voted to adopt this program for the current year. 

 Members from the affiliated societies are accord- 

 ingly requested to reserve contributions bearing 

 on this topic for presentation before the Nat- 

 uralists at the next annual meeting. 



The place and time of the next meeting was 

 referred to the executive committee. 



Eleven new members were elected; they are: 

 D. S. Johnson, Johns Hopkins University; R. C. 



Osburn, Barnard College; G. G. Scott, College of 

 City of New York; A. H. Clark, National Mu- 

 seum; L. L. Woodruff, Yale University; N. E. 

 Kellicott, Woman's College of Baltimore, Md.; 

 R. P. Cowles, Johns Hopkins University; J. F. 

 McClendon, University of Missouri; F. B. Sum- 

 ner, Woods Hole; A. A. Budington, Oberlin Col- 

 lege; R. Retzer, Johns Hopkins Medical School. 



At an adjourned meeting in the evening the 

 following officers were elected for this year: 



President — Professor T. H. Morgan, of Columbia 

 University. 



Vice-president and Chairman of the Eastern 

 Section— Piofes&or W. H. Howell, Johns Hopkins 

 University. 



Additional Members of the Council — Dr. D. T. 

 MacDougall and Professor Charles H. Judd. 



Treasurer — Dr. Herman von Schrenck. 



Secretary — Dr. H. McE. Knower. 



Professor R. A. Harper, University of Wis- 

 consin, is vice-president and chairman of the 

 Central Branch of the society, and Professor J. 

 G. Lee, University of Minnesota, is secretary of 

 the Central Branch. 



H. McE. Knower, 



Secretary 



REPORT OP THE BALTIMORE MEETING 

 OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF 

 TEACHERS OF THE MATHEMATICAL 

 AND THE NATURAL SCIENCES 

 The council of the federation met in Baltimore, 

 Md., on Monday, December 28, at 3 p.m. Of the 

 thirty-three members of the council, nineteen were 

 present either in person or by proxies. The report 

 of the executive committee, presented by Mr. J. 

 T. Rorer, outlined the work of the year in con- 

 nection with organization, the appointment of a 

 special committee on the bibliography of science 

 teaching, the issue of the November Bulletin, and 

 preparations for the council meeting in Baltimore. 

 It pointed out some of the specific questions which 

 might naturally engage the attention of the officers 

 of the federation during the coming year; em- 

 phasizing, however, the dependence of successful 

 work on increased financial resources. 



The treasurer reported a balance of $20.20 from 

 last year, as shown in the printed statement in 

 the Bulletin. The printing and mailing of the 

 Bulletin had cost $53.00, leaving $32.80 chargeable 

 to this year's account. Dues from the federated 

 associations for this year had not yet been col- 

 lected. An auditing committee, consisting of 

 Messrs. L. S. Hulbert and C. H. Smith, was ap- 



