358 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXI. No. 792 



" Catalytic Tests and Treatment of Systematic 

 Phtysia," by W. P. McCartney. 



" Midcontinent Petroleum," by F. W. Bushong. 



" Some Difficulties in Arsenic Tests," by F. B. 

 Dains. 



" In the Laramie and Niobrara Cretaceous," by 

 C. H. Sternberg. 



" Observations on Cytology of Equisetum," by 

 I. D. Cardiff. 



The time was closely occupied in this order till 

 6 P.M., when the academy repaired to Charlton 

 Cottage to partake of an elegant banquet tendered 

 by the local members. 



Following the banquet the retiring president, 

 Dr. F. B. Dains, gave an address on " The Lives 

 of Silliman, Hare and Cook, and their Influence 

 on American Science." Dr. J. T. Lovewell gave 

 some personal reminiscences of the elder Silliman 

 and of the methods of teaching chemistry fifty 

 years ago. 



On Thursday the reading and discussion of 

 papers were resumed, and in the free and in- 

 structive comments and questions, much interest 

 was manifested and advantages gained. 



The academy is growing in numbers and influ- 

 ence, having now about two hundred members, and 

 is enlarging its library and museum. In the near 

 future it will have rooms in the Memorial Build- 

 ing, now being erected in Topeka, the state cap- 

 ital, and have a permanence of quarters it has 

 hitherto lacked. The annual volumes of Transac- 

 tions, now published by the academy, are growing 

 in size and value and are welcomed as exchanges 

 by most scientific societies. The present officers 

 were reelected for the ensuing year: 



President — F. B. Dains, Topeka. 



Vice-presidents — J. M. MeWharf, Ottawa, and 

 V. J. Smith, Emporia. 



Treasurer — F. W. Bushong, Lawrence. 



Secretary — J. T. Lovewell, Topeka. 



Topeka will be the place of next meeting and 

 the time will probably be during the Christmas 

 holidays. J. T. Lovewell 



THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



At the annual meeting of the Chicago Academy 

 of Sciences, held January II, the following officers 

 were elected: 



President — Dr. T. C. Chamberlin. 



First Vice-president — Mr. A. L. Stevenson. 



Second Vice-president — ^Mr. C. H. Blatchford. 



Secretary — Dr. Wallace W. Atwood. 



Bead Curator — Mr. Frank C. Baker. 



The honorary curators were elected as follows: 

 Dr. Thomas C. Chamberlin, general geology; Dr. 

 Stuart Weller, paleontology; Dr. Oliver C. Far- 

 rington, mineralogy; Professor E. J. Hill, botany. 



Annual reports were received from the trustees, 

 the secretary, the treasurer and the curator. 

 During the past year the emphasis in the museum 

 work has been placed upon ecological exhibits and 

 on the preparation of loan collections suitable for 

 use in the public and private schools of the city. 

 The demand for such material has greatly ex- 

 ceeded the supply and the work will be conducted 

 on a larger scale during the coming year. The 

 academy has undertaken during the past year to 

 enter more intimately and actively into coopera- 

 tion with the educational institutions of the city 

 to improve and extend the teaching of nature 

 study to the children and the science courses in 

 high schools. To this end a course of insti-uction 

 was ofl'ered to the teachers by Dr. Henry C. 

 Cowles, of the University of Chicago, on " Plants 

 and their Field Relations." For the children, a 

 series of Saturday afternoon lessons was arranged. 

 These were given by Dr. Herman S. Pepoon. The 

 children were admitted as delegates from the 

 seventh and eighth grades in the public schools, 

 each delegate representing his, or her, class. Over 

 one hundred applicants applied for this course 

 and the reports from the teachers and the prin- 

 cipals indicate that each delegate returned to the 

 class with an enthusiastic report of the work 

 which had been offered at the academy. These 

 new lines of work were supplemented by lectures 

 given at the schools by members of the staff and 

 by evening lectures at the academy building which 

 were open to the public and to which school 

 delegates were also admitted. The cooperation on 

 the part of the teachers and the principals has 

 been most gratifying and the trustees of the 

 academy have appropriated funds for the con- 

 tinuation and development of the educational and 

 museum extension work during the coming year. 



During the past year the academy published a 

 bulletin, on the " Higher Fungi of the Chicago 

 Region," by Dr. Will S. Moffatt. This bulletin is 

 illustrated with twenty-three full-page half-tone 

 plates. 



Mr. Frank C. Baker has completed for publica- 

 tion a monograph on the " Lymnaeidse of Middle 

 and North America." This work is the result of 

 ten years of study involving the examination of 

 all the large collections of moUusks in the United 

 States. 



