AvaGust 20, 1897.] 
tricity, the practical applications of the 
latter, terrestrial magnetism, the liquefac- 
tion and solidification of gases, the behavior 
of elements and compounds under the influ- 
ence of extreme cold, the nature and uses 
of the Réntgen rays, the advances in bac- 
teriology and in prophylactic medicine, 
might all have been passed under review, 
and to many of my audience would have 
seemed to possess greater claims to atten- 
tion than the subject that I have chosen. 
It must, however, be borne in mind that 
most, if not indeed all, of these topics will 
be discussed by more competent authorities 
in the various Sections of the Association by 
means of the Presidential addresses or 
otherwise. Nor must it be forgotten that I 
occupy this position as a representative of 
archeology, and am therefore justified in 
bringing before you a subject in which every 
member of every race of mankind ought to 
be interested—the antiquity of the human 
family and the scenes of its infancy. 
Others will direct our thoughts in other 
directions, but the farther we proceed the 
more clearly shall we realize the connection 
and inter-dependence of all departments of 
science. Year after year, as meetings of 
this Association take place, we may also 
foresee that ‘ many shall run to and fro and 
knowledge shall be increased.’ ‘Year after 
year advances will be made in science and 
in reading that Book of Nature that lies, 
ever open before our eyes ; successive stones 
will be brought for building up that Temple 
of Knowledge of which our fathers and we 
have labored to lay the foundations. May 
we not well exclaim with old Robert Re- 
corde ?— 
“Oh woorthy temple of Goddes magnifi- 
cence: Oh throne of glorye and seate of 
the lorde: thy substance most pure what 
tonge can describe? thy signes are so 
wonderous, surmountinge mannes witte, 
the eftects of thy motions so diuers in kinde: 
so harde for to searche, and worse for to 
SCIENCE. 
283 
fynde—Thy woorkes are all wondrous, thy 
cunning unknowen : yet seedes of all knowl- 
edge in that booke are sowen—And yet in 
that boke who rightly can reade, to all 
secrete knowledge it will him straighte 
leade.’”* 
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR ADVANCEMENT 
OF SCIENCE: FORTY-SIXTH MEETING, 
DETROIT, AUGUST 7-13, 1897. 
THE second Detroit meeting of the Amer- 
ican Association for the Advancement of 
Science began on Saturday, August 7, 1897, 
with a slimly attended meeting of the 
Council at the Hotel Cadillac. As last 
year, the first general session was held 
Monday morning, and the last on Friday 
evening. The general sessions and all 
meetings of sections were held in the new 
Central High School building, which is ex- 
cellently adapted for the purpose. Super- 
intendent Bliss and the school authorities 
made every effort to assist the Association. 
Monday evening a reception to the As- 
sociation was given at the High School by 
the local committee. Thursday afternoon 
Section G, together with the officers and 
guests of the Association, were invited to a 
garden party by Mr. Joseph Berry, of 
Grosse Pointe. Friday evening there was 
a reception at the High School building 
after the final session, and Saturday, 
August 14th, was given to an excursion to 
the Ste Claire flats. 
The arrangements and management of 
the local committee were excellent in every 
respect, and the Detroit meeting, which it 
was feared would be a failure, was a very 
successful one. On account of the meeting 
of the British Association at Toronto, the 
attendance at Detroit was small, the total 
registration being only 291. There were 
present a number of foreign guests, among 
them being Messrs. A. G. Greenhill, W. E. 
Hoyle, A. W. Scott, J. Thorp, D. H. Mar- 
*Preface to Robert Recorde’s Castle of Knowledge, 
1556. 
