SCIENCE 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, PUBLISHING THE 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



Editosial Costmittek : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. Woodward, Meohanios ; E. C. Pickeeing, 

 Astronomy ; T. C Mendenhall, Physios ; K, H. Thubston, Engineering ; lEA Remsen, Chemistry ; 

 Charles D. Walcott, Geology ; W. M. Davis, Physiography ; Henry F. Osboen, Paleon- 

 tology ; W. K. Brooks, C. Haet Merriam, Zoology ; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology ; C. E. 

 Bersey, N. L. Beitton, Botany ; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology ; H. P. 

 BowDiTCH, Physiology ; William H. Welch, Pathology ; 

 J. McKeen Cattell, Psychology. 



Friday, March 13, 1903. 



CONTE^'TS: 

 On the Foundations of Mathematics: Pho- 



FESSOR ElIAKIM HASTINGS MOORE 401 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 

 Section C, Chemistry: Dr. H. N. Stokes.. 416 



Scientific Books: — 



McMurrich oti the Development of the Hu- 

 man Body: PROFESSOR C. S. MixoT. Corn- 

 stock's Field Astronomy for Engineers: 

 Professor H. N. Ogden. Professor Heil- 

 prin on Mount PeUe: T. A. J., Jb 421 



Scientific Journals and Articles 425 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Biological Society of Washington: F. 

 A. Lucas. The Chemical Society of Wash- 

 ington: J. S. BuRD. The Torrey Botanical 

 Club : F. S. Earle 426 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



The St. Louis Meeting: Professor W. M. 

 Davis. The Policy of the American Asso- 

 ci(ifio)i for the Advancement of Science: 

 Professor W. J. Beal. Abundant Honor- 

 ary Degrees: C. S. M 428 



Shorter Articles: — 



The Sacral Spot in Maya Indians: Pro- 

 fessor Frederick Starr. The Eggs of the 

 Eastern Atlantic Hag-fish: Professor 

 Bashford Deax. Origin of Name Mono- 

 tremes : Dr. Theo Gill 432 



Current Notes on Physiography : — 



Overthrust Moiintains of Northern Mon- 

 tana; The Oases of Souf and M'zab: The 

 Other Half of Geography: Professor W. M. 

 DA\as 434 



The D. 0. Mills Astronomical Expedition.. 436 



American Ornithologists' Union Excursion to 

 California 436 



Minute in Reference to the Death of Professor 

 Harkness 436 



Scientific Notes and News 437 



University and Educational News 440 



MS8. Intended for publication and books, etc.. Intended 

 for review should be sent to the responsible editor, Pro- 

 fessor J. McKeen Cattell, Garrison-on-Hudson. N. Y. 



ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF MATHEMATICS.* 

 The American Mathematical Society 

 gives its retiring president the privilege 

 of speaking on whatever he may have at 

 heart. Accordingly, this afternoon I pro- 

 pose to consider with you some matters of 

 importance— indeed, perhaps of funda- 

 mental importance— in the development of 

 mathematics in this country; and it will 

 duly appear in what non-technical sense I 

 am speaking 'On the Foundations of 

 Mathematics. ' 



A VIEW. 



Aistract Mathematics.— The notion with- 

 in a given domain of defining the objects 

 of consideration rather by a body of prop- 

 erties than by particular expressions or in- 

 tuitions is as old as mathematics itself. 

 And yet the central importance of the 

 notion appeared only during the last cen- 

 tury—in a host of researches on special 

 theories and on the foundations of geom- 

 etry and analysis. Thus has arisen the 

 general point of view of what may be 

 called aistract mathematics. One comes 

 in touch with the literature very conveni- 

 ently by the mediation of Peano's Revue 

 des Mathematiques. The Italian school of 

 Peano and the Formulaire Mathematique, 

 published in connection with the Revue, 



* Presidential address delivered before The 

 American Mathematical Society at its ninth an- 

 nual meeting, December 29, 1902. 



