July 27, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



129 



inch Harvard telescope. All of these stars 

 will be compared with the stars of the 

 twelfth magnitude, whose absolute magni- 

 tudes will be determined with the 12-inch 

 Harvard meridian photometer. Their re- 

 lative brightness will also be determined 

 more accurately with the Harvard 15-inch 

 telescope. After the work is fairly started 

 it is believed that it can be reduced to a 

 simple routine, by which great results may 

 be attained with a moderate expenditure. 

 By the time this report is presented it is 

 expected that observations with the Yerkes, 

 Lick, University of Virginia and Harvard 

 telescopes will be in progress. 



Registration of Astronomers : By E. C. Pick- 

 ering. 



A plan for the registration of astrono- 

 mers desiring positions was proposed to the 

 Society at its meeting at the Harvard Ob- 

 servatory in 1898. It was hoped that in 

 this way suitable candidates could be found 

 for vacant positions, and at the same time 

 good positions could be found for those 

 qualified for them. As however, the mem- 

 bers present did not desire that the Society 

 should undertake this work, it has been 

 carried out by, and at the expense of, the 

 Harvard College Observatory. Blanks of 

 the form appended have been distributed, 

 and during the last eight months, thirteen 

 men and six women have applied for posi- 

 tions. Requests for assistants have been 

 received from four institutions, but in only 

 one or two cases were the vacancies filled. 

 The number of candidates for positions is 

 therefore abundant and it is hoped that in- 

 stitutions will avail themselves more freely 

 of this register in filling positions. No 

 charge is made either to institutions or in- 

 dividuals, and, if desired, communications 

 are regarded as confidential. 



George C. Comstock, 



Secretary. 

 (To ie Concluded.) 



A3IEBI0AN MATEEMATICAL SOCIETY. 



Following its usual custom, the Amer- 

 ican Mathematical Society held its Seventh 

 Summer Meeting in afiiliation with the 

 American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, at Columbia University, June 

 27th-29th. The Society is one of, at pres- 

 ent, sixteen scientific bodies which have re- 

 sponded to the general invitation of the 

 Association to meet simultaneously with it, 

 their relation to the Association being de- 

 scribed by the very flexible term ' afiBlia- 

 tion.' These societies contribute greatly to 

 the importance and interest of the meeting, 

 frequently furnishing a large proportion of 

 the total attendance and of the scientific 

 output. In many cases a more intimate re- 

 lation between them and the Association 

 would be mutually beneficial, and plans for 

 such a strengthening of ties are already 

 under consideration. But, at present, the 

 afBliated societies receive scanty oflBcial 

 recognition. They have no representation 

 in the councils of the Association ; no ofiicial 

 reception is given them at the meeting ; 

 they receive none of the general circulars 

 of information issued by the Association ; 

 and the notices of the societies printed in 

 these circulars have been, in at least one 

 instance, unauthorized and incorrect. In 

 short, the societies are left mostly to their 

 own devices, and enjoy all the advantages 

 and disadvantages of this condition. 



The unusually early date of the meeting 

 involved some conflict with the academic 

 duties of many members, and reduced the 

 period of preparation and accumulation of 

 material from four to two months. But in 

 spite of this and the uncomfortable weather, 

 the occasion was a pronounced success. 

 Fifty-six members of the Society were in 

 attendance, a number which has never 

 been exceeded. Professor Simon N"ewcomb, 

 ex-President of the Society, presided at the 

 opening of the first session, on Wednesday 

 afternoon, and was succeeded in the chair 



