June 8, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



887 



THE INTERNATIONAL GEODETIC 

 ASSOCIATION. 

 The 15th general conference of the Inter- 

 national Geodetic Association will meet in the 

 hall of the Academy of Sciences at Budapest 

 on September 20, 1906, and the following pro- 

 gram has been arranged to cover the work of 

 the conference: 



1. Opening of the conference. 



2. Report of the perpetual secretary. 



3. The extension of the convention of 1895 for a 

 new period of ten years. 



4. The selection of a committee on finance. 



5. The report of the director of the Central 



Bureau on the work of the bureau during the 

 triennial period 1903-1906. 



6. Report on the observations of latitude in the 



northern hemisphere. 



7. Report on the observations of latitude in the 



southern hemisphere. 



8. Discussion on the continuation of the observa- 



tions of latitude. 



9. Report of the Central Bureau on the deter- 



minations of gravity at sea and on the coasts. 



10. General reports. 



(a) On triangulation. 



( 6 ) On the measurement of base lines. 



(o) On leveling of precision. 



(d) On the measurement of tides. 



(e) On the determination of longitude, latitude 

 and azimuth. 



(f ) On deflections of the vertical. 



(g) On the determinations of gravity. 



11. Presentation of national report. 



12. Discussion of the following subjects proposed 



by the Association of Academies: 

 (o) Levels of precision in mountain chains 

 subject to earthquakes with a view of deter- 

 mining whether such mountain chains are 

 stable or subject to movements either of 

 elevation or depression. 

 (6) Measures of the value of gravity for the 

 purpose of throwing light on the internal 

 distribution of terrestrial masses and on 

 the rigidity or isostacy of the coast of the 

 globe. 



13. Program of the director of the Central Bureau 



for work to be undertaken during the fol- 

 lowing years. 



14. Report of the committee on finance. 



15. Estimate of expenses for the following years. 



16. Election of a president, vice-president and 

 perpetual secretary for a period of ten years. 



17. Miscellaneovis communications. 



THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



May 21.— A bill to authorize the Secretary 

 of Commerce and Labor to cooperate through 

 the Bureau of the Coast and Geodetic Survey 

 and the Bureau of Fisheries with the Shell- 

 fish Commissioners of the State of Maryland, 

 in making surveys of the natural oyster beds, 

 bars, rocks and waters within the State of 

 Maryland, passed the. Senate. 



May 24.— The bill for the preservation of 

 American antiquities passed the Senate. 



May 28. — The resolution to prohibit the kill- 

 ing of wild birds and other wild animals in 

 the District of Colimibia passed the House. 



May 28. — The bill incorporating the Arche- 

 ologieal Institute of America was approved by 

 the President. 



The Honorable George M. Bowers was nom- 

 inated for reappointment as Commissioner of 

 Fish and Fisheries. 



THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 

 We take pleasure in publishing a letter 

 addressed by the Academy of Natural Sci- 

 ences of Philadelphia to the California Acad- 

 emy of Sciences and resolutions adopted by 

 the Botanical Society of Washington in 

 commendation of the services of Miss Alice 

 Eastwood: 



The Acaoemt of Natueal Sciences 



OF 



Philadelphia, 

 logan square. 



May 31, 1906. 



Me. J. 0. B. GuNN, 



Corresponding Secretary of the California 

 Academy of Sciences: 



Sir:— The Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, sympathizing with the California 

 Academy of Sciences in the affliction resulting 

 from earthquake and fire, as an evidence of appre- 

 ciation of the work done for the advancement 

 of knowledge' during the last fifty-three years, 

 and in admiration of the fine courage which does 

 not succumb to a calamity of even such magnitude, 

 desires to assist in the process of resurrection. 



The council of this academy has, therefore, 

 directed that, if required, as complete series as 

 possible of its publications, together with a col- 

 lection of duplicate books, be sent to the Cali- 

 fornia Academy as a contribution toward the re- 

 placing of its library. 



