AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION. 475 



desire manifested by the American men of Science to maintain as nearly as pos- 

 sible an undivided action throughout, is only less surprising than their transference 

 to a daily General Meeting, so many questions of detail which we have been 

 accustomed to see disposed of by a Committee. In the British Association there 

 are now seven sections in full and efficient operation ; while the American Associ- 

 ation, — divided till last year only into a Natural History and a Physical Science 

 Section, required that the Ethnologists, when craving at this meeting a separate 

 one for themselves, should produce ten papers ready for reading before they could 

 even be allowed to organise themselves into a dependent sub-section. Neverthe- 

 less it was apparent that materials were not wanting for a much more extensive 

 organization of sections and classification of subjects; as indeed became abundantly 

 manifest when chemistry, statistics, and political economy, all claimed to be received 

 by the Ethnological sub-section, as orphan sciences elsewhere unprovided for. 

 Nothing, we believe, would be found more calculated to increase at once the popu- 

 lar interest and the practical efficiency of the Association, than its subdivision into 

 more numerous sections for daily work. It would indeed of necessity diminish 

 the crowd of miscellaneous auditors. But to compel the Chemist to submit his 

 papers to an impatient auditory of Geologists, or the Political Economist or Statis- 

 tician to intrude himself on unwilling Ethnologists, is to impede the work of all, and 

 to drive the intruding sciences to seek a heartier recognition on some other arena. 

 Some of the characteristics which specially distinguish the organization and pro- 

 cedure of the American Association, are undoubtedly traceable to the circumstan- 

 ces in which it originated. Formed at first solely as an Association of American 

 Geologists, the other sciences have been admitted into favour chiefly in so far as 

 they had a bearing on the favorite study ; and hence its Natural History has been 

 to a great extent palaaontological ; its Chemistry has been mineralogical or atmos- 

 pheric ; and Physics with Mathematics have alone heretofore secured an independ- 

 ent footing. 



The address of the retiring President, Professor Hall, was devoted exclusively 

 to the elucidation of his views on some novel but highly interesting questions in 

 his own favorite science of Geology. In this he presented at great length, and 

 with much ability, very comprehensive generalizations relative to the rise of con- 

 tinents, the direction and influence of currents of deposition, and the causes in 

 operation in the formation of mountain chains. This address was originally de- 

 livered at a Conversazione given to the members of the Association by the Natural 

 History Society of Montreal in the Bonsecours Hall. But, notwithstanding the 

 chivalrous promptness with which the American asserts the rights and the intel- 

 lectual equality of woman, it was felt by the more enthusiastic devotees of science 

 that the gay assembly of ladies which graced the entertainment supplied an audi- 

 ence who might not perchance enter with all their enthusiasm into the abstruse 

 geological questions they were challenged to discuss. Some slight dissatisfaction 

 was accordingly expressed by a few of the more eager militant geologists who,, 

 while longing to break a lance in the lists, were too much bent on the combat ct 

 Voutrance, to look with favor on bright eyes and fair faces crowding the arena. 

 The difficulty was at length solved by Professor Hall being invited to re-deliver his 

 address before the general meeting on a subsequent day. Its length, however, 

 precluded the desired discussion even then ; and we regret the impossibility of 

 embracing any adequate epitome of its comprehensive generalizations within the 

 limits at our command. 



