124 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ALBANY MEETING 



brought about the establishment of a National Research Council which shall be 

 representative of these various organizations, and M^hose object shall be the 

 promotion of scientific research with especial reference to national welfare; 

 and 



Whereas we believe that human progress depends in part on the increase in 

 the knowledge and application of the principles and factors of geology, and 

 that national welfare can most effectively be advanced by the cooperation of 

 this Society with coordinated bodies of scientific investigators ; 



Be it resolved, That the Geological Society of America approve of the estab- 

 lishment of a National Research Council and agree to cooperate in all practi- 

 cable ways in its work of coordinating and promoting scientific research. 



This resolution was adopted by the Society. 



The following motion was also presented as coming from the Council: 



Moved, That in view of the overture made to this Society by the National 

 Research Council and of the desire of the Geological Society of America to 

 cooperate with the purposes of the National Research Council in securing the 

 most effective application of scientific endeavor in all departments of knowl- 

 edge, the Council of this Society be authorized to proceed with the formation of 

 a Committee on Geology, after conference with the representatives of the Com- 

 mittees of the National Research Council and the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science. 



This motion was adopted by the Society, and the action of the Council 

 in taking steps toward the formation of a committee in accord with these 

 resolutions was approved. 



The Society then proceeded at 11.10 o'clock to the consideration of 

 scientific papers. 



TITLES AND AB>STRACTS OF PAPERS PRESENTKD BEFORE THE MORNIN(i 



SESSION AND DISCUSSIONS THEREON 



GEOMETRIC PLANS OF THE EARTH, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE 

 PLANETESIMAL HYPOTHESIS 



BY HARRY FIELDING REII) 



(AI)stract) 



De Beaumont's Pentagonal System, Green's Tetrahedral System, and Chani- 

 berlin's Planetesimal Hypothesis wore ccm.sidered. The last was given special 

 attention. The astronomical part of the hypothesis was not considered, but 

 the supposed division of the earth into six segments, the interaction of these 

 segments and their relation to the great lines of the earth, the origin and per- 

 manence of the continents and oceans, etcetera, were discussed. 



Presented in abstract extemporaneously. 



