Marce 15, 1901.] 
taken the degree of doctor of philosophy, and 
who had, therefore, received their academic 
equipment for their life work. 
In discussing the best type of examination 
for the doctor’s degree, it was held very em- 
phatically that the practice which is growing 
up in our universities, especially in some of the 
departments dealing with natural science sub- 
jects, of permitting the candidate to pass his 
examination course by course, as is usual in 
undergraduate instruction, is a pernicious one, 
and one which stands in the way of the attain- 
ment of the best and broadest scholarship. It 
was held that the examination for the doctor’s 
degree should, in all cases, be upon subjects 
and not upon courses of instruction ; the under- 
lying principle being that the courses of in- 
struction which a graduate student attends are 
but a small part of the work which he is sup- 
posed to do in order to prepare himself for his 
examination. 
It was developed that there was some dif- 
ference of practice between the universities as 
to the formal examination for the degree of 
doctor of philosophy. On the whole, I think it 
may be said that it was the opinion of most of 
those who expressed themselves, that great 
stress should be laid upon the oral examination 
at the time when the candidate finally presents 
himself for his degree, and that if any subordi- 
nate examinations are held previous to this 
time, either upon courses or upon subjects, 
they should be given very little weight in esti- 
mating the capacity of the candidate. 
It was voted unanimously to approve the sug- 
gestion of the committee appointed by the Coun- 
cil of the American Association for the Ad- 
vancement of Science, that there be set aside a 
week to be known as Convocation Week, in 
order that the various learned societies of the 
country may arrange to hold their meetings at 
that time. 
It was also voted to print in pamphlet form 
an abstract of the proceedings of the first and 
second annual meetings of the Association, and 
to assess the cost thereof upon the fourteen in- 
stitutions equally. 
The place and date of the meeting of 1902 
were referred to the incoming executive com- 
mittee with power. 
SCIENCE. 
437 
The officers chosen for the year were: Presi- 
dent, Columbia University ; Vice-President, Uni- 
versity of Michigan; Secretary, University of 
Chicago; additional Members of the Executive 
Committee, Harvard University, University of 
California. 
THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY. 
SENATOR CHANDLER’S amendment to the 
’ Naval Appropriation Bill, providing a Board of 
Visitors to the Naval Observatory and requir- 
ing the Superintendent to be a line officer of 
the Navy not below the rank of Captain, was, 
after stout and repeated resistance by the 
House conferees, at last accepted, with, how- 
ever, an amendment, consisting of the words 
‘until further legislation by Congress,’ the con- 
cluding clause reading: ‘‘ The Superintendent 
of the Naval Observatory shall be, until fur- 
ther legislation by Congress, a line officer of 
the Navy of a rank not below that of Captain.”’ 
This, of course, indicates that in the opinion of 
the House conferees further legislation should 
follow. The bill was finally passed by both 
Houses without debate on these provisions. 
It appears from the following extract from 
the Washington Evening Star of the 8th inst., 
that the affairs of the Observatory are likely to 
be kept before the public : 
Charges have been preferred to the Navy Depart- 
ment by Capt. Charles H. Davis, U.S. N., superin- 
tendent of the United States naval observatory, 
against Professor Stimson J. Brown, director of the 
Nautical Almanac, head of the mathematical branch 
of the observatory, who is an officer of the navy with 
the rank of captain. Both officers are well known in 
naval and scientific circles. The Secretary of the 
Navy has had copies of the charges laid before Pro- 
fessor Brown, preliminary to the usual procedure of a 
court of inquiry, which will determine whether the 
charges are of a character to warrant a court-martial- 
Tt was at first understood that Professor Brown had 
been placed under arrest by Captain Davis, but it is 
said in some official quarters that there has been no 
arrest, and in others it is stated that, at most, the 
arrest is technical, following the preferring of charges, 
and in no way involving any restraint. 
The papers were first transmitted to Admiral Brad- 
ford, chief of the bureau of equipment, who has 
supervision of the Observatory, and by him they were 
laid before Secretary Long. The papers are not made 
public in such cases and, owing to the personal nature 
