Apkil 28, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



669 



arc was very mucli below the melting point 

 of zinc. 



The residue remains within the still. This 

 should be digested out from time to time, 

 depending upon the condition of the impure 

 mercury. Where one is dealing with com- 

 paratively pure mercury 50 to 75 pounds may 

 be distilled off during a single run. 



Chas. T. Knipp 

 Labobatobt of Physics, 

 UmvEEsiTY of Illinois, 

 January, 1911 



TEE ASSOCIATION OF AMEBICAN 

 GEOGBAFSEBS 



The seventh annual meeting was held at Pitts- 

 burgh, December 29-31, 1910, imder the presi- 

 dency of Dr. H. C. Cowles, of the University of 

 (Jhieago. His address was upon tlie subject, "The 

 Causes of Vegetative Cycles." Public lectures 

 were given by Professor Mark Jefferson on 

 "Kooky Mountain Forms," and by Dr. Cowles on 

 the ' ' Origin and Destiny of the Everglades. ' ' 

 Professor Kollin D. Salisbury conducted a round 

 table confereilce on the "Purposes of Geographic 

 Instruction, and the Phases of the Subject best 

 adapted to these Purposes. ' ' About twenty-five 

 papers were read by the members. 



The following officers were elected: Fresident 

 Professor Ralph S. Tarr, Cornell University; First 

 Vice-president, Alfred H. Brooks, U. S. Geological 

 Survey; Second Vice-president, Henry G. Bryant, 

 president of the Geographical Society of Philadel- 

 phia; Secretary, A. P. Brigham, Colgate Univer- 

 sity; Treasurer, Professor N. M. Penneman, Uni- 

 versity of Cincinnati; Councillor (for three years). 

 Professor Herbert E. Gregory, Yale University. 



The following were appointed as delegates to 

 the Geographical Congress to be held in Eome in 

 October, 1911: Cyrus C. Adams, A. P. Brigham, 

 H. C. Cowles, W. M. Davis, H. W. Fairbanks and 

 Ralph S. Tarr. 



Members newly elected are: Charles A. Davis, 

 U. S. Bureau of Mines; P. V. Emerson, Univer- 

 sity of Missouri; Otto E. Jennings, Carnegie 

 Museum, Pittsburgh; Wolfgang L. G. Joerg, 

 American Geographical Society; Alexander G. 

 Euthven, University of Michigan; Victor E. Shel- 

 f ord, University of Chicago ; L. H. Wood, Western 

 State Normal School, Michigan. 



The association has voted to establish a publi- 

 cation, and has appointed the following publica- 



tion committee: Richard E. Dodge, chairman and 

 editor, Alfred H. Brooks, Henry C. Cowles and 

 Ralph S. Tarr. 



Following the discussions of the round-table 

 conference, the association adopted the resolutions 

 herewith appended. 



' ' The Association of American Geographers at 

 its Pittsburgh meeting, December 29-31, discussed 

 the present status of physical geography in sec- 

 ondary education and passed the following resolu- 

 tions : 



" Besolved, that in the opinion of this associa- 

 tion physical geography fully deserves to retain a 

 place in the high school. 



"That the disappointment or dissatisfaction 

 sometimes expressed regarding the results of 

 teaching this subject is in large measure due to 

 inefficient teaching. 



' ' That as a means of removing this dissatisfac- 

 tion, superintendents and principals are urged to 

 procure teachers of physical geography adequately 

 prepared in their subject, and to entrust the sub- 

 ject only to such teachers. 



"That no teacher of physical geography should 

 be appointed in any educational grade who has 

 not made serious and special study of the subject 

 in a higher educational grade. ' ' 



A committee on state educational bulletins was 

 appointed to report at the next meeting: N. M. 

 Fenneman, chairman, W. M. Davis and R. H. 

 Whitbeok. 



The next meeting will be held in Washington 

 in connection with the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science. 



Albert Pekry Brigham, 



Secretary 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING OP THE ILLINOIS 

 STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



The fourth annual meeting of the Illinois State 

 Academy of Science was held Friday and Satur- 

 day, February 17 and 18, at the University of 

 Chicago. 



About two hundred persons attended the com- 

 bined sessions of the two days, and the excellence 

 of the papers and the general air of enthusiasm 

 which prevailed was on a par, if not in excess, of 

 previous meetings. The total membership is now 

 four hundred and eight; of this number, thirty- 

 seven were elected at the Chicago meeting. A 

 study of the geographic distribution of the mem- 

 bership is significant, as the annexed table shows. 



