May 2-2, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



823 



volume, pp. 401-416), wliich is taking eiiective 

 shape in the organization of associations of 

 teachers of mathematics throughout the 

 country. On April 11-12 the Central Associa- 

 tion of Teachers of Mathematics and Science 

 was formed at Chicago, Professor Moore and 

 other members of the society actively cooper- 

 ating. At a meeting held in Boston on April 

 18 the Association of Teachers of Mathematics 

 in New England was organized. This meet- 

 ing was opened by an address, by President 

 Thomas S. Fiske of the society, on ' Methods 

 for improving the teaching of mathematics.' 

 Other similar associations will probably soon 

 be formed. It is precisely through such asso- 

 ciations that the society can best exert a real 

 influence on the teaching of mathematics. 



The following papers were read at the April 

 meeting : 



H. E. Hawkes : ' On non-quaternion number sys- 

 tems in seven units.' 



B. O. Peiece : ' On families of curves wliieh are 

 the lines of certain plane vectors, either solenoidal 

 or lamellar.' 



E. W. Beown : ' On the variation of the arbi- 

 trary and given constants in dynamical equations.' 



L. P. EiSENHAET : ' Qpngruences of tangents to 

 a surface, and derived congruences.' 



H. E. Steckee: 'Least distance in the non- 

 euclidean plane.' 



L. E. DiCKSON" : ' Fields whose elements are 

 linear difi'erential equations.' 



Saul Epsteen : ' On linear differential con- 

 gruences.' 



R. S. WoODWAED : ' The deviation from the 

 vertical of falling bodies.' 



Edvi^ AED Kasnee : ' The automorphio groups of 

 the manifolds defined by a general and a sym- 

 metric determinant.' 



C. H. SiSAM : ' On some directrix curves on 

 quintic scrolls.' 



L. I. Neikiek : ' Groups of order p"' which con- 

 tain cyclic subgroups of order p"'—'^.' 



I. M. ScHOTTENFELS : ' On the simple groups of 

 order S!/2.' 



E. B. Wilson: 'The so-called foundations of 

 geometry.' 



The American Physical Society was in ses- 

 sion simultaneously with the Mathematical 

 Society. While it was found impracticable 

 to arrange a joint session, several members of 

 the Physical Society attended the presentation 



of Professor E. S. "Woodward's paper. In the 

 evening twenty-five members of the two so- 

 cieties dined together and continued the dis- 

 cussion of the outlook for the better teaching 

 of mathematics, a topic of mutual interest 

 and importance. 



The next meeting of the Mathematical So- 

 ciety will be the summer meeting, which, with 

 the Fourth Colloquium, will be held at the 

 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bos- 

 ton, beginning August 31. P. N. Cole, 



Secretary. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



THE PROPOSED BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY AT THE 

 TORTUGAS. 



The need of ^ first-class marine laboratory 

 for research in the tropical Atlantic is so ap- 

 parent and so pressing that I hope that no 

 apology is necessary for a few practical sug- 

 gestions that are the result of a personal ac- 

 quaintance with the station that seems, from 

 the replies to Dr. Mayer's enquiries, to be the 

 one most favored by the zoologists who have 

 been consulted. Without any intention of 

 belittling the claims of any other situation, 

 there are certain important advantages that 

 can be urged in favor of the Tortugas that 

 seem to render this station far and away the 

 most advantageous for the best work along 

 marine biological lines. These may be sum- 

 marized as follows : 



1. The unexcelled fauna. It seems to me 

 that there is hardly a doubt that at no point 

 in the vicinity of our southern coast are the 

 conditions more favorable for profuse marine 

 life than here. Some years ago an expedi- 

 tion from the University of Iowa examined 

 with some care several regions in the West 

 Indies and Florida keys, including the island 

 of Eleuthera, Cuba, Key West and the Tor- 

 tugas. While any one of tli,ese stations would 

 afford abundant material for investigation, 

 the preeminence can confidently be claimed 

 for the last of these points. As asserted by 

 Dr. Mayer, the northern edge of the Gulf 

 Stream seems to very materially excel the 

 southern, especially in the matter of pelagic 

 life. 



