101 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXI. Xo. 525. 



the academy for election by fellows engaged 

 in scientific work similar to their own: 



Hugo de Vries, professor of plant anatomy and 

 pliysiology in the University of Amsterdam, The 

 X*etherlands. Pi'esented hy Professor Britton. 



G. Johnstone Stoney, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S., pro- 

 fessor of natural philosophy in the late Queen's 

 University, Dublin, Ireland. Presented by Pro- 

 fessor R. E. Dodge. 



W. C. Brogger, director of the mineralogical 

 institute, Christiania, Norway. Presented by Pro- 

 fessor Kemp. 



Karl von der Steinen, professor of ethnology in 

 the University of Berlin. Presented by Professor 

 Boas. 



Ferdinand Zirkel, professor of mining and 

 geognosy in the University of Leipzig. Presented 

 by Professor Stevenson. 



Dr. Frederic A. Lucas was elected a fellow 

 of the academy, being presented by the record- 

 ing secretary. 



Professor J. McKeen Cattell then proposed 

 the health of Professor R. S. Woodward, a 

 past-president of the academy, recently elected 

 to the presidency of the Carnegie Institution. 



Tile president of the academy, Professor 

 Edmund B. Wilson, then delivered his address 

 upon ' The Problem of Development,' at the 

 close of which a vote of thanks was tendered 

 to him. 



The academy then adjourned. 



Henry E. Crampton, 

 Recording Secretary. 



Report of the Recording Secretary. 

 During the year 1904 the academy met in 

 business session on eight occasions, and the 

 . several sections held thirty meetings, at which 

 seventy-six stated papers and lectures were 

 presented upon the following subjects: 



Papers. Lectures. 



Astronomy 2 ' 1 



Physics 11 



Chemistry 1 



P.ofany 5 



I'aleontologv- 2 



Zoology 10 



(Jeology 



Alincralogy 2 



Physiography 2 2 



Antliropology and .Xrchoology. . 8 



Psychology H'> 



Philosophy 1 



lMf)':raphy 1 



Particular mention must be made of the 

 lecture upon the ' Physiography of the Alps ' 

 by Professor Albrecht Penck, an honorary 

 member of the academy. 



At present there are 278 active members, 

 of whom 132 are fellows; the election of one 

 fellow is pending. During the year two mem- 

 bers have died, six have resigned, while six 

 have been dropped on account of non-payment 

 of dues. As five new members have been 

 elected during the same period, there has been 

 a net loss of nine. 



In accordance with a recommendation of- 

 fered by the library committee a more per- 

 manent union of the libraries of the academy 

 and the American Museum of Natural His- 

 tory has been effected, to their mutual advan- 

 tage. In regard to publications, it may be 

 stated that the former method, according to 

 which papers presented before the academy 

 could be published in journals other than the 

 Annals with the financial support of the acad- 

 emy has been set aside. In the future, as in 

 earlier years, a volume of the Annals, to con- 

 sist of three or four parts, will be issued 

 during a calendar year. 



Particular attention is now being given by 

 the council to the matter of membership, and 

 efforts are to be directed in the near future 

 towards increasing the list of active members. 

 As stated above, there has been a loss of nine 

 during the year, although the members that 

 resigned exceed the new members by one only. 

 Maintenance, however, is not progressive de- 

 velopment unless in the face of adverse con- 

 ditions. The situation that confronts us is 

 in some respects a difficult one, though not pe- 

 culiar to the academy. The special societies, 

 each dealing with some restricted branch of 

 science, will tend more and more in the fu- 

 ture, as they have in the past, to draw away 

 active workers from general bodies such as 

 the academy. Support for the academy may, 

 therefore, be sought with a fairer prospect of 

 success from those upon whom demands are 

 not made by professional duties, that their 

 activities shall be centered in the special or- 

 ganizations for scientific work. With such 

 support, publication as one of our two main 

 olrocts may be furthered. Efforts should 



