Apkil 9, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



525 



Princeton University, and was its respon- 

 sible member in charge of the infirmary. 



In 1908 he insisted on retiring from 

 active service and was made professor 

 emeritus. He at once turned his attention 

 to research, for which he was so well fitted, 

 and from which his devotion to professorial 

 duties as a teacher had for so many years 

 excluded him. He employed his technical 

 skill in making optical preparations, and 

 at last became interested in the construc- 

 tion of a ruling engine for the construction 

 of diffraction gratings, of the sort known 

 as echelette gratings. He devised a new 

 method for the mechanical grinding of the 

 screw, by which most of the hand labor 

 that was needed in the methods previously 

 used was avoided, and before his death he 

 had the satisfaction of seeing the engine 

 which he constructed producing gratings 

 of satisfactory quality. "With very little 

 additional labor it will be fitted to do the 

 work for which it was designed. 



Professor Brackett was gifted with a 

 most winning personality. He made 

 friends of his colleagues and his pupils. 

 The gift of the Palmer Physical Laboratory 

 by Mr. S. S. Palmer, and its endowment 

 by Mr. D. B. Jones and Mr. T. B. Jones, 

 are monuments of the affectionate regard 

 which he inspired in some of those who 

 knew him. He was a wide reader, and an 

 ingenious speculator on physical questions, 

 and was always ready io contribute of his 

 knowledge to those who came to him for 

 information and advice. He will be re- 

 membered by all who came within the range 

 of his infiuemce as an inspiring teacher, an 

 affectionate friend and a good man. 



W. F. Magie 



GEOGBAPEICAL MEETING IN NEW YOBK 



The second joint meeting of the American 



Geographical Society and the Association of 



American Geographers will be held in New 



York, Friday and Saturday, April 9 and 10, 

 1915. With the exception of Friday evening, 

 the sessions will be held at the society's build- 

 ing, Broadway at 156th Street. President 

 Dodge of the association will preside at the 

 sessions. The joint meeting will be called to 

 order on Friday morning by Mr. John Green- 

 ough, vice-president and chairman of the coun- 

 cil, American Geographical Society. The 

 Park Avenue Hotel at the corner of 33d Street 

 and Park Avenue, will be headquarters for as- 

 sociation members. The American Geograph- 

 ical Society has very generously asked all 

 association members to be their guests at the 

 hotel during the meeting, from Thursday 

 afternoon, April 8, to Saturday afternoon, 

 April 10. The arrangements make it desir- 

 able to dine together at hours to be announced 

 at the session on Friday. It is hoped that as 

 many members as possible will arrive on 

 Thursday in time for dinner and the social 

 gathering in the secretary's room at the hotel 

 during the evening. The American Geograph- 

 ical Society has invited all members of the 

 association to luncheon on both Friday and 

 Saturday noon at a restaurant close to the 

 society's building. Mr. George A. Plimpton 

 has invited the members of the association, 

 their wives, and all workers in geography in 

 attendance at the meeting to meet at his home 

 on Friday evening. Mr. Plimpton will speak 

 informally on Early American Geography, and 

 exhibit his complete and interesting library of 

 early American texts in geography. 

 The scientific program is as follows: 



FRIDAY MORNING SESSION (PROM ELEVEN O'CLOCK 



TO twelve-thirty) 



" The Coast of New Caledonia," by W. M. 

 Davis. 



" Geography of the Navajo Country," by H. 

 E. Gregory. 



FRIDAY AFTERNOON SESSION (FROM TWO O'CLOCK 

 TO five) 



" Utah, the Oasis at the Foot of the Wa- 

 satch," by Mark Jefferson. 



" The Geographic Factor in Agricultural 

 Industries," by C. S. Scofield. 



