118 



SCIENCE, 



[N. S. Vol. XXII. No. 552. 



investigators in Oregon, who, by reason of 

 their great distance from the scientific cen- 

 ters, are unable to attend the annual scientific 

 convocations and congresses. Many other 

 persons, also, who are not engaged profession- 

 ally in scientific work have realized the need 

 of organized effort in the interest of the de- 

 velopment of the scientific resources of the 

 state. In response to this spirit a call was 

 issued by Mr. Edmund P. Sheldon, upon con- 

 sultation with others, for a meeting to be held 

 February 4, 1905, in the rooms of the John 

 Burroughs Club, Portland. 



At this meeting about thirty persons were 

 present. Mr. Edmund P. Sheldon was elected 

 temporary chairman; Dr. Drake, secretary. 

 Plans of organization were discussed and a 

 committee was appointed to draw up consti- 

 tution and by-laws for an academy of science. 

 Upon this committee were appointed Pro- 

 fessor G. E. Coghill, Pacific University, chair- 

 man; Professor A. E. Sweetser, State Uni- 

 versity; Messrs. M. W. Gorman, Schmidt and 

 Eoss Nicholas, of Portland. A committee 

 was appointed, also, to confer with the Lewis 

 and Clark Centennial Exposition Commission 

 with regard to arranging for a scientific con- 

 gress in connection with the Lewis and Clark 

 Centennial Exposition. 



Following the business session a paper upon 

 ' The Bacteriology of Water ' was presented 

 by Professor A. E. Sweetser. The paper in- 

 cluded an account of the author's investiga- 

 tion of the water supply of certain cities and 

 towns of the Willamette Valley. Special at- 

 tention was given to the water supply of Port- 

 land, which was found to be exceptionally 

 free from liability to bacterial contamination. 

 A device for conveying specimens of water 

 long distances at low temperature for bac- 

 teriological examination was exhibited and 

 discussed. 



The second meeting for organization was 

 held February 18, Mr. Sheldon presiding; 

 Professor C. E. Bradley, secretary. Consti- 

 tution and by-laws were adopted, and the or- 

 ganization was formally completed under the 

 name of ' The Oregon State Academy of Sci- 

 ences.' The following officers were elected: 



President — Edmund P. Sheldon, superintendent 

 of forestry, fish and game, Lewis and Clark Ex- 

 position Commission. 



Vice-Presidents — A. R. Sweetser, professor of 

 biology, University of Oregon; A. B. Cordley, 

 biologist of the Oregon Agricultural College; 

 Catherine McConnell, teacher of chemistry and 

 physiology, Portland High School. 



Recording Secretary — J, A. Lyman, professor of 

 chemistry, Portland Academy. 



Corresponding Secretary — G. E. Coghill, pro- 

 fessor of biology, Pacific University. 



Treasurer — ^M. W. Gorman, botanist, Portland. 



Librarian and Director of Museum — ^L. L. Haw- 

 kins, capitalist, Portland. 



Trustees — L. L. Hawkins; Dr. James Withy- 

 combe, director of the experiment station of the 

 Oregon Agricultural College; Edward A. Beals, 

 U. S. Weather Bureau, Portland. 



The constitution provides for monthly meet- 

 ings, and for special meetings which will no 

 doubt be held annually with a view to calling 

 together the scientists of the northwest. 



Two of the regular meetings have already 

 been held. On March 18 a paper was pre- 

 sented by G. E. Coghill on ' The Taste Organs 

 of Vertebrates.' On April 18 Mr. Edmund 

 P. Sheldon read a paper on ' Forestry in the 

 United States.' The paper considered the 

 methods and aims of the forester, the signifi- 

 cance of forestry to the nation, and to the 

 state of Oregon especially. Mr. Sheldon's 

 .excellent treatment of the subject called forth 

 a spirited discussion of our local and national 

 methods of dealing with the forestry problem. 

 George E. Coghill, 

 Corresponding Secretary. 



THE TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB. 



The meeting of May 31 was held at the 

 American Museum of Natural History^ Presi- 

 dent Eusby in the chair and eleven persons 

 present. 



The first paper on the scientific program 

 was by Dr. C. Stuart Gager, and was entitled 

 ' Preliminary Notes on the Effect of Eadio- 

 activity on Plants.' Plants grown in the 

 presence of radium are subject to four dif- 

 ferent influences: (1) The a-rays, composed 

 of a stream of material particles bearing a 

 charge of positive electricity; (2) the /?-rays, 



