1908] 
Recent Baltimore Meetings 
153 
acy of that theory. Another point of interest was that terrestial 
and cosmical physics was brought into prominence as never before 
at these meetings. Quite a number of papers were presented 
dealing w T ith various phases of this growing branch of physical 
science, and Dr. L. A. Bauer, Director of the Department of 
Terrestial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution, took a prominent 
part in the discussions, and indeed was elected Vice-President of 
Section B for next year. Many papers dealt with attempts to 
“try out” many phases of the Electron Theory experimentally, 
in some cases with negative, in other cases with positive results. 
Among the more inportant papers should be mentioned those on 
“The extension of the Balmer series of lines in the Sodium Spec- 
trum,” by Prof. R. W . Wood, of Johns Hopkins University; 
“The Optical Properties of Films of Magnetic Metals,” by Prof. 
C. A. Skinner, University of Nebraska; and “Solar Vortices and 
Magnetic Fields,” by Prof G. E. Hale, of Mount Wilson Observa- 
tory, Cal. 
The Physicists’ Dinner, a new departure, at the Country Club 
near Baltimore, was a decided success, and will doubtless be a 
regular part of the program in the future. It was decided at this 
dinner to cable the; congratulations of those present to Prof. 
Ernest Rutherford, a former member of the American Physical 
Society, on receiving the Nobel prize in Chemistry for last year. 
A. H. Patterson. 
geology 
The twenty-first annual meeting of the Geological Society of 
America was held in the geological building of Johns Hopkins 
University, Tuesday to Thursday, 29 to 31 December, 1908. 
The morning and afternoon sessions were devoted to the transac- 
tion of business and the reading and discussion of original papers. 
The formal address by President Samuel Calvin on “The Latest 
Phase of the Pleistocene Problem in Iowa” was delivered Tuesday 
enening in the main lecture room, followed by a smoker and 
social hour in the laboratory. Wednesday evening the annual 
dinner of the Society took place at the Hotel Rennert, President 
Calvin acted as toastmaster. Over one hundred geologists were 
present. The guest of honor was Professor Albrecht Penck, of 
the University of Berlin. Informal talks were make by Professor 
