September 1, ]905.] 



SCIENCE. 



i09 



circumstances, it may scarcely be regarded 

 with well-founded hopes of realization — there 

 is undoubtedly no more worthy single service 

 to be rendered students in systematic pteri- 

 dology than the publication of precisely such 

 a work as Christensen has undertaken in his 

 ' Index Filicum.' The need of the work is 

 undeniable; the parts already published are 

 of high w^orth; the manuscript of the re- 

 mainder is ready for the printer; and we can 

 only express our hope that the necessary sup- 

 port shall be given — and at once — to insure 

 the issuance of the remaining parts. 



William R. Maxon. 

 U. S. National jMuseum, 

 August 15, 1905. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. 

 The August number of The Physical Re- 

 view contains the following articles: 



A. De Forest Palmer : ' Thermo-electric Deter- 

 mination of Temperatures 0° and 200° C 



Louis Bevier, Jr.: ' The Vowel A° (as in Raw), 

 (as in Rope), U (as in Rude).' 



Wm. J. Raymond : ' The Measurment of In- 

 ductance and Capacity by Means of the Differ- 

 ential Ballistic Galvanometer.' 



J. B. Whitehead : •' The Magnetic Effect of 

 Electric Displacement.' 



E. R. Drew: 'The Infra-red Spectrum of CO, 

 and Nitrogen.' 



The contents of The American Naturalist 

 for August are as follows: 



Professor D. P. Penhallow : ' A Systematic 

 Study of the Saiicacese.' 



J. A. CuSHMAN : ' Developmental Stages in the 

 Lagenidee.' 



Dr. B. M. Davis : ' Studies on the Plant Cell.'— 

 VII. 



Notes and Literature: Nature Study; Zoology, 

 Wasps Social and Solitary, Trouessart's Catalogue 

 Mammalium, Supplement. 



SOCIETIES, AND ACADEMIES. 

 ORGANIZATION OF A NATIONAL SOCIETY OP TEACH- 

 ERS OF mathematics and science. 

 A CONFERENCE was held at Asbury Park on 

 July 5, 1905, for the purpose of discussing the 

 advisability of organizing, a national society of 

 teachers of mathematics and natural science. 

 The conference was attended by thirty-seven 



teachers representing nearly all the larger as- 

 sociations of teachers of mathematics and 

 natural science in the United States. Many 

 letters received from teachers who were unable 

 to be present expressed sympathy with the pro- 

 posed movement. 



Professor Thomas S. Fiske, of Columbia 

 University, was elected chairman of the con- 

 ference and Dr. Arthur Schultze, of the High 

 School of Commerce of New York, was elected 

 secretary. i 



There was absolute agreement in regard to 

 the advisability of forming closer permanent 

 relations among the associations represented, 

 and a large majority were in favor of effecting 

 this by means of a national association. Con- 

 siderable discussion, however, arose as to 

 whether the new society should be one of 

 mathematical teachers only or one including 

 also teachers of science. The western asso- 

 ciations, for the most part including teachers 

 of science as well as teachers of mathematics, 

 strongly . advocated a mixed organization,, 

 while the teachers from the eastern states 

 seemed, to a considerable extent, to favor a 

 purely mathematical society. The views urgedl 

 by the western delegates prevailed, and on 

 piotion of Professor E. E. Hedrick, of the 

 University of Missouri, a resolution was 

 adopted to the effect that a national society 

 of teachers of mathematics and science be 

 organized. 



The details of the organization were re- 

 ferred to the following executive committee : 

 Professor Thomas S. Fiske (chairman), New 

 York, N. Y.; Professor C. E. Comstock, 

 Peoria, 111.; Professor E. R. Hedrick, Co- 

 lumbia, Mo.; Mr. Franklin T. Jones, Cleve- 

 land, O.; Professor William IT. Metzler, 

 Syracuse, N. Y. ; Mr. Edgar H. Nichols, Cam- 

 bridge, Mass. 



Up to the next meeting this committee is to 

 act as coinicil of the society and a report of its 

 proceedings is to be published in School Sci- 

 ence and Mathematics. 



In the following list of associations repre- 

 sented at the conference the names of regularly 

 appointed delegates are distinguished by the 

 letter (D). 



New England Mathematics Teachers Asso- 



