376 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. IV., No, 89. 



proper measures for their preservation. The same 

 remarks would, in a general way, apply to the collec- 

 tions of the Philadelphia academy of natural science. 

 It is sad to find no paid ornithologists in charge of 

 these exceedingly valuable collections, and he begged 

 to suggest that the union could undertake no worthi- 

 er task than to impress upon the proper authorities 

 the urgent necessity of immediate action in this 

 matter. 



The officers of the union were re-elected as follows : 

 president, J. A. Allen, Cambridge ; vice-presidents, 

 Dr. Elliott Coues and Kobert Ridgway, Washington ; 

 secretary and treasurer, Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Locust 

 Grove, New York. 



THE MERIDIAN CONFERENCE. 



The International conference for fixing upon a 

 meridian to be employed as a common zero of longi- 

 tude met at Washington, Oct. 1, in the diplomatic 

 hall of the State department. Forty delegates were 

 present from twenty-five nations. Of these, sixteen 

 were represented, wholly or in part, by members 

 of the diplomatic or consular service ; and, as the 

 State department took charge of the affair, the pro- 

 ceedings have been surrounded with much of the 

 secrecy of that office. As a consequence, the ques- 

 tions involved have been very little discussed from 

 the stand-point of scientific or commercial conven- 

 ience, but the time has been mostly taken up with 

 political diplomacy and sentiment. 



The representatives of this country were Rear- 

 Admiral C. R. P. Rodgers, Messrs. L. M. Rutherford 

 and W. F. Allen, Commander W. T. Sampson, and 

 Professor Cleveland Abbe ; and, at the first meeting 

 of the conference, Admiral Rodgers was elected pres- 

 ident. In his opening address he referred to the wide 

 extent of this country in longitude, but said there 

 was no desire to urge the choice of a prime meridian 

 within its borders. The rest of the session was oc- 

 cupied in discussing proposed methods of conducting 

 the conference, etc. 



At the next meeting, on Oct. 2, Lieut. -Gen. Stra- 

 chey of Great Britain, Mr. Janssen (director of the 

 observatory at Meudon, France), and Dr. Cruls (di- 

 rector of the Rio Janeiro observatory) were elected 

 secretaries. 



Commander Sampson then introduced a resolution 

 to invite the superintendents of the American ephem- 

 eris and of the Coast and geodetic surveys (Professor 

 Newcomb and Dr. Hilgard), Professor A. Hall, Dr. 

 Valentiner (director* of the Karlsruhe observatory), 

 and Sir William Thomson, to attend the meetings. 

 A long discussion arose as to whether these persons 

 were to take part in the proceedings, the French del- 

 egates opposing any such proposition. The resolu- 

 tion was finally passed as it stood ; and Commander 

 Sampson then introduced another, that the gentle- 

 men who had just been invited to attend the meet- 

 ings of the conference be permitted to take part 

 in the discussion of all scientific questions. The 



French delegates again strongly objected to allow- 

 ing any private individuals, however eminent, who 

 were not authorized by their respective governments, 

 to influence the decisions of the conference. After 

 considerable discussion, the motion was lost, eight 

 to thirteen, each nation having one vote. 



Gen. Strachey then introduced, as a substitute, 

 that the president be authorized, with the concur- 

 rence of the delegates, to request an expression of 

 the opinions of the gentlemen invited to attend the 

 conference on any subject on which their opinion 

 might be likely to be valuable ; and this was adopted 

 without debate. 



Commander Sampson then introduced a resolution 

 that the meetings of the conference be open to inter- 

 ested visitors. This, after objection on the part of 

 the French delegates, was lost by a vote of seven 

 to fourteen. 



Mr. Rutherford, in order to give direction and pre- 

 cision to the work, then submitted a resolution that 

 the conference propose to the governments repre- 

 sented the adoption, as a standard meridian, of that 

 of Greenwich, passing through the centre of the 

 transit instrument at the observatory of Greenwich. 



The two French delegates made extended remarks 

 opposing such a direct resolution, stating that this 

 conference had no authority definitely to adopt any 

 meridian ; that it should not be influenced by the de- 

 cisions of the geodetic conference last year at Rome, 

 since that was purely a meeting of scientific men on a 

 technical matter, while this conference was more in- 

 ternational in its character, and should examine the 

 thing from a political stand-point, Mr. Janssen even 

 going so far as to express the opinion that it should 

 confine its deliberations to the question as to whether 

 a common zero meridian were desirable. 



Gen. Strachey said we could not ignore the work 

 of the geodetic conference at Rome; that, composed 

 of some of the most eminent scientific men of all 

 countries, who had fully discussed all these questions, 

 its decisions must carry weight; that while this con- 

 ference had no authority to enforce its decisions, yet 

 it should make them as complete and definite as 

 possible. 



Mr. Rutherford said, that a discussion as to whether 

 it were advisable to adopt a common zero meridian or 

 not was a waste of time ; that it was taken for granted 

 by our government in issuing the invitations, and by 

 the others in accepting them, but, out of deference 

 to the wishes of the French delegates, he withdrew 

 the resolution temporarily. Another was then offered 

 by Commander Sampson, stating the desirability of 

 adopting a universal meridian, and it was unani- 

 mously agreed to. Mr. Rutherford then renewed his 

 original resolution for the adoption of the Greenwich 

 meridian, and Mr. Janssen reiterated his objections 

 to it. 



A discussion followed as to the powers of the con- 

 ference, and the intentions of this government in call- 

 ing it. Mr. Rutherford referred to the language of 

 the secretary of state in the invitations, saying that 

 each government was invited " with a view to learn- 

 ing whether its appreciation of the benefits to accrue 



