112 



SCIENCE. 



deduced from the observations of W. H. Bacon, Cunard steamer 

 Scythia." all by W. A. Rogers. 



CHEMISTRY. 



Rotary power of glucose and grape sugar— H. W. Wiley. 



Actinism— A. R. Leeds. 



The occurrence of oxide of antimony in extensive lodes in Se- 

 nora — Mexico. 



Convenient scale and apparatus in gas analysis — E. W. Morlcy. 



On the constitution of tartrates of antimony — F. W. Clarke. 



Action of sunlight on glass— Thomas Gaffield. 



Near ratio of oxygen to nitrogen in the atmosphere— E. W. 

 Morley. 



SUBSECTION MICROSCOPY. 



'^Microscopic studies in Central Florida," C. C. Merriam ; 

 " The errors of a few English, French and American stage micro- 

 meters," William A. Rogers ; " Apparatus used in photographing 

 microscopical objects." Samuel Wells; "A new freezing micro- 

 tome," William Hailes ; " Microscopical investigations of the 

 Havana yellow fever," George M. Sternberg; "Permanent mi- 

 croscopic preparations of Amphibian blood corpuscles," S. H. 

 Gage; "Permanent microscopic preparations of Plasmodium," 

 S. H. Gage. 



BIOLOGY. 



" Comparative anatomy as a part of the medical curriculum," 

 Harrison Allen ; " Distinguishing species of Populus and Juglans 

 by the young naked branches," W. J. Beal ; " Observations on 

 Japanese Brachiopoda," E. S. Morse; "An investigation of the 

 reach yellows," B. D. Halsted; " Incomplete adaptation as illus- 

 trated by the history of sex in plants," L. F. Ward; " Evolution 

 cf parasitic plants," Thomas Meehan; " Anthrax of fruit trees, or 

 the so-called tire-blight of the pear and twig-blight of the apple 

 trfe," T. J. Burrill; " Further notes on the pollination of Yucca, 

 and on Pronuba and Prodoxus," C. V. Riley; "Fossil Dinoce- 

 rata in the E. M. Museum at Princeton, N. J.," F. C. Hill; 

 " Origin and Succession of Felida?," E. D. Cope ; " Preservation 

 of fossil insects and plants at Malon Creek," J. W. Pike ; " Me- 

 nobranchus lateralis," P. R. Hoy. 



GEOLOGY. 



Before the geologists were presented ten essays : " The Cupri- 

 ferous series in Minnesota," N. H. Winchell ; " The excavation 

 of the upper basin and clove of the Kaaterskill, Catskill Moun- 

 tains, N. Y.," Alexis A. Julian ; " Progress of geologicd investi- 

 gation in New Brunswick, 1870-1880," L. W. Bailey; " The ter- 

 tiary age of the iron ores of the lower Silurian limestone valleys," 

 H. C. Lewis ; " Note on the Turquoise localities of Los Cerillos," 

 B. Silliman ; " Los Cerillos, New Mexico, an area ot recent erup- 

 tive rocks with mineral veins," B. Silliman ; " Iron mines of Ore 

 Hill, Conn., and vicinity, and the making of pig iron," W. A. 

 Stearns; "Law of land forming on our globe," Richard Owen ; 

 " Karnes and eskors in Maine," George H. Stone ; " Occurrence 

 of tin ore at Winslow, Me.," C. H. Hitchcock. 



ANTHROPOLOGY. 



The anthropologists met to listen to the following essays : "Eth- 

 nology of Africa, illustrated by a large manuscript map," A. S. 

 Bickmore ; " Myths and folk lore of the Iroquois," Erminnu A. 

 Smith ; " Prehistoric altars of Whiteside county, Illinois," W. C. 

 Holbrook; "Theory of primitive democracy in the Alps," D. W. 

 Ross ; " Ancient mounds in the vicinity of Naples, Illinois, Pt. II. 

 Illustrated with skulls, pipes, copper axes, bone implements and 

 other articles from the mounds, "J. G. Henderson ; " The mounds 

 of Illinois," William McAdams ; " Prehistoric and early types of 

 Japanese pottery," E. S. Morse. 



In the evening Mr. Alexander G aham Bell brought b fore the 

 Association his recent discovery of the Photophone, and researches 

 with Mr. Sumner Tainter in the production and reproduction of 

 sound by means of light. 



Saturday, August 28th. 



In general session a few new members were elected, and on 

 motion of Professor Ormond Stone, the standing committee ot the 

 Association was instructed to r f. r the subject of standard time to 

 a special committee. In section A a sub-section H of mathematics 

 and astronomy was organized with Mr. Simon Newcomb, of Wash- 

 ington, as chairman, and Mr. Winslow Upton, of Washington, as 

 Secretary. 



Tin- following papers were also read in the various sections and 

 bi-sections. 



PHYSICS. 



"On tin- present condition of musical pitch in Boston and vicin- 

 ity," Charles R. Cross and William I . Miller ; " 'I he Co-ellicicnl 

 of expansion of gas solutions," from the Messrs. E. L. Nichols 

 and A. W. Wheeler, and "The new action of magnetism on a 

 permanent electric current," by Mr. E. H. Hall ; the latter being 

 among the most important papers, theoretically considered, ever 

 contributed by an American t > the science of physic-.. Then came 

 " A simple device for projecting vibrations of a liquid film without 

 a lent," t>y H. S. Carhart ; " Observations on somi recent hail- 

 storms in North Carolina," by |. R. Blake; and " Results of a 

 magnetic survey of Missouri," by Francis K. Nipher. . 



MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY. 



" The solar parallax for meridian observation of Mars in 1877," 

 by J. R. Eastman ; "A note on zodiacal light," by H. C. Lewis, 

 and a " Tidal theory of the forms of comets." 



CHEMISTRY. 



" On a solution of ferric gallate and ferric oxalate as a reagent 

 forquantitive analysis of ammonia," N. B. Webster. 



" Description of new substituted acrylic acids," C. F. Malberry. 



" The valuation of indigo," L. M. Norton. 



" The soil supply of nitrogen for plants," W. O. Atwater. 



" Incrustations lormed in piDes used in gas wells," H. L. Nason. 



" A modification of Bertier's process for the valuation of coal," 

 Charles E. Monroe. 



" Observation on the temperature and chemical character of 

 Mystic Lake, Mass," W. R. Nichols. 



MICROSCOPY. 



" On the limits of visibility with the microscope," A. E. Dolhear. 

 " Minute anatomy of the human Larny*>" Carl Seiler. 

 " Infusoria found in fresh ponds," S. P. Sharpies. 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



" Endo-cranium and the maxillary suspensorium of the bee," 

 G. Macloskie. 



" Tongue in snakes and birds," C. S. Minot. 



The age of the copper bearing rocks of Lake Superior, M. E. 

 Wadsworth. 



Structure and nomenclature of the brain, with special reference 

 to that of the cat, Burt. G. Wilder (three papers). 



Plan of the cerebro-spinal nervous system, S. V. Clevenger. 



ANTHROPOLOGY. 



Aboriginal pottery and stone implements, S. S. Holdeman. 

 Rude argillite implements, C. C. Abbott. 

 The Dacotah tribes, H. B. Carrujton. 



Discoveries in the Mammoth, Wyandot and Luray caves, H. 

 C. Hovey. 



We propose to offer the readers of Science verbatim re- 

 ports of the principal addresses, and lengthy abstracts of the 

 leading papers, read before this important meeting of the 

 Association, and will commence the series with that of the 



ADDRESS OF PROFESSOR GEORGE F. BARKER, 

 THE RETIRING PRESIDENT OF THE ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



Some Modern Aspects of the Life Question. 



The number of roots in our equation of life increases the difficulty of 

 solving it, but by no means permits the acceptance of the lazy assump- 

 tion that it is altogether insoluble or reduces a sagacious guess to the 

 level of the prophecy of a quack.— HAUGHTON. 



Ladies and Gentlemen of the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science. 



The discovery of new truth is the grand object of scienti- 

 fic work. The exultation of feeling which comes from the 

 possession of a fact, which, now, for the first time, he 

 makes known to men, must ever be the reward of the scien- 

 tific worker. As investigators and as students of science 

 we are met here to-day at this our annnual session. Each 

 of us during the past year has been endeavoring to push 

 outward further into the unknown, the boundary of present 

 knowledge. When, therefore, we thus meet together it is 

 fitting that, from time to time, our attention should be called 

 to the progress which has been made along some one of the 

 various lines of research, and to the milestones which mark 

 the epoch of advance along the way which science has 

 traveled. Moreover, we may profitably sum up at such 

 times the work done in particular directions, and encourage 

 ourselves with prospective and retrospective glances. In 

 these summings up, however, a difficulty arises. The range 

 of modern scientific thought includes an immense area. 

 The field of knowledge is already so vast, that, seen from 

 the vertical distance necessary to make a wide survey, that 

 small portion of it which is familiar to any one ind-ividual 

 is scarcely visible. In consequence, to use a mechanical 

 figure, the solid contents of a man's acquirements being 

 given, the cb pth thereof is inversely as the area covered. 

 He, therefore, who undertakes to speak even for one single 

 department of science 'distributes his stock of knowledge 



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