104 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY 



are valuable only when needed in description, and I have scru- 

 pulously avoided applying new names excepting where necessary 

 for this purpose ; but when once applied in this way they should 

 not be put aside without a valid reason. But while I protest 

 against this, I wish also to protest against geographic work which 

 consists mainly in scattering names broadcast. Explorers often 

 do little else than this. 



Ralph S. Tarr. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 

 SOCIETY, SESSION i897-'q8 



Special Meeting, February 7, 1898. — President A. Graham Bell in the 

 chair. Mr G. K. Gilbert lectured on the Origin of the Physical Features 

 of the United States. 



Regular Meeting, February 11, 1898. — President A. Graham Bell in the 

 chair. Mr Richard U. Goode gave an illustrated lecture on the Bitter 

 Root Forest Reserve. At the conclusion of the lecture Hon- James Gunn, 

 M. C, of Idaho, gave a description of that state, its topography, products, 

 agriculture, irrigation,, minerals, and mining. 



Special Meeting, February 14, 1898. — President A. Graham Bell in the 

 chair. Hon. J. Phinney Baxter lectured on New England: the Home of 

 the Pilgrims and Puritans. 



Special Meeting, February 18, 1898. — President A. Graham Bell in the 

 chair. Mr John M. Robertson gave an illustrated lecture on the Influ- 

 ence of Climate and Land Formation on Early Civilization and Politics. 



Special Meeting, February 21, 1898. — President A. Graham Bell in the. 

 chair. Professor Richard E. Dodge gave an illustrated lecture entitled 

 "New York State: its Physical Geography." 



Regular Meeting, February 25, 1898. — President A. Graham Bell in the 

 chair. Mr Henry Gannett gave an illustrated lecture on Lake Chelan. 



The fine portrait of Prof. Alexander Graham Bell, LL. D.. the distin- 

 guished president of the National Geographic Society and inventor of the 

 Bell telephone, which forms the frontispiece to this number, constitutes 

 a notable addition to the series of portraits of eminent men of science 

 which have appeared in the National Geographic Magazine during the 

 past two years. 



