Proceedings of Scientific Societies, 1043 
by A. E. Verrill. X. “Some Measurements of Relative Wave- 
lengths,” by A. A. Michelson and E. W. Morley. XI. “A 
New Mineral from Maine,” by E. S. Dana. XII. “ Remarks 
on the Expression of the Law of Attraction in the Stellar Systems,” 
by C. H. F. Peters. XIII. “ Notes on the Satellite of Neptune,” 
by A. Hall. XIV. “The Problem of Soaring Birds,” by G. 
K. Gilbert. XV. “The Laws of Corrasion,” by J. W. Powell. 
THE WEsTERN Society or Naturauists held its first annual 
meeting October 24th and 25th, 1888, in the Physical Lecture- 
room of the Illinois State University, Champaign, Ill. Twenty- 
six members, representing six States, were in attendance. The 
meeting was called to order by the President, Dr. S. A. Forbes, and 
welcomed to the State and to Champaign by Prof. T. J. Burrill, 
Vice-President of the University. The first paper, on the“ Teach- 
ing of Botany,” was by Dr. D. H. Campbell, of Indiana University. 
He advocated the logical method of beginning with the simple and 
leading up to the complex, even with pupils as young as those 
in the high-schools, and the constant use of the compound micro- 
scope. The discussion which followed showed considerable diver- 
sity of opinion as to method, but all were agreed in relegating the 
analysis of flowers to the background. The other paper of the 
afternoon was by Prof. W. J. Beal, of the Michigan Agricultural 
College, who gave an account of a museum of plant products. 
In the evening, Dr. S. A. Forbes, of the Illinois State University, 
gave the presidential address, detailing the character, scope, an 
objects of the Society, and then Pres. T. C. Chamberlain, of the 
Wisconsin State University, detailed the methods of investigation 
in quaternary geology. 2 ; 
hursday morning the following papers were read: “ Collegiate 
Instruction in Physiology,” by Prof. O. P. Jenkins, of DePauw 
University ; “Collegiate Instruction in Geology,” by Prof. Samuel 
Calvin, of Iowa University ; and “ Biology in the High School,” 
by Prof. W. H. Hatch, of Rock Island. Prof. J. T. Burrill 
exhibited a convenient and compact apparatus for taking photo- 
graphs of microscopic objects, and explained its use. Prof. O. 
P. Jenkins exhibited a simple microtome invented by Prof. J . P. 
Naylor, which would cut ribbons of sections, the thinness of which 
is only limited by the pitch of the screw and the edge of the razor, 
while the instrument could be manufactured at a profit for ten or 
fifteen dollars. The following officers were elected for the ensuing 
year: President, Dr. T. C. Chamberlain, of Madison, Wis.; Vice- 
Presidents, Prof. J. T. Burrill, of Champaign, Ill., Pres. D. S: 
Jordan, of Bloomington, Ind., Prof. Samuel Calvin, of Iowa City, 
Iowa; Secretary, Prof. J. S. Kingsley, of Bloomington, Ind. ; 
Treasurer, Prof. John M. Coulter, of Crawfordsville, Ind. It was 
