108-('78) TRAKSACTIOIS'S OF scientific section 



found themselves constituting the membership of two 

 organizations identical in purposes and essentially iden- 

 tical in methods. This was the condition of the section 

 when the first stated meeting required by the by-laws 

 was held on the first Wednesday evening of November, 

 1881. 



Remembering that our object in organizing the Scien- 

 tific Section in the Vassar Brothers' Institute had never 

 been to found a rival to our old society, but that it had 

 been rather to continue our work of the old society under 

 better auspices and larger facilities, it was decideded that 

 that, in view of the unsettled relations between the new 

 society and the old, the time to begin the scientific work 

 of this section had not yet arrived, and that such meet- 

 ings only should be held as would be necessary to main- 

 tain the organization until the affairs of the Poughkeepsie 

 Society of Natural Science should be satisfactorily ar- 

 ranged, so that the work, long and so well-done under 

 adverse conditions, might be taken up and carried for- 

 ward in the brighter prospects of the newer organization. 



This explanation of the apparently total inaction of the 

 section during the first half year of its existence, is due 

 to its members and to the Institute. 



But finally, in December. L881, when the Poughkeep- 

 sie Society of Natural Science, decided to become inac- 

 tive, its work was immediately taken up by the Scientific 

 Section of the Vassar Brothers' Institute. 



Our first stnted meeting was held January 25, 1882. 



In addition to the twelve constitutional members by 

 whom the section was organized, thirty-four have been 

 elected, chiefly from among the members of the older 

 Society of Natural Science. 



The section has received and transmitted to the Insti- 

 tute 74 specimens for its museum, and volumes to the 

 number of 34, for its library. 



The following papers have been contributed to the 



proceedings : 



Jan. 25th, 1882.- Chemistry and the Question of Life. -By Prof. Le R. 

 C. Cooley. 



Feb. 8th, L882. -Are other Worlds Inhabited:'— By C. B. Warring. 



Feb. 22d. 1882.— Notes on an Indian Spear-head from Arabia.— By ('. N. 

 Arnold. 



Feb. 23th, 1882.— On a Chemical Examination of a Stain on Monumen- 

 tal Marble.— Bv Prof. Le R. C. Cooley. 



