406 SCIENCE. [n. s. vol. xxi. xo. 533. 



lects nothing! To her the infinitely large 

 and the infinitely small on the boundaries 

 of which we live are alike finite among her 

 infinities. Touch her at any point and 

 your contact is with the eternal. 



To contemplate the prolific labors of Pro- 

 fessor Packard is to stand face to face with 

 the attributes of genius. I do not wish to 

 make an over-statement. True, there is 

 an order of genius among the geniuses, but 

 there is none in whose heart the sacred fire 

 does not burn. There can be no holier joy 

 than the joy of creative work, and yet it is 

 a joy akin to terror. What is it which pos- 

 sesses a man even in early youth, which 

 impels him despite all obstacles and re- 

 straint to strive evermore, intellectually 

 alone, without approval, profitlessly after 

 an unattainable ideal ; whose spell grows 

 more potent as his years ripen, as his toil 

 increases, as the world grows caustic in its 

 rebuke ; and that leaves him only with 

 death? Do not suppose that the poet or 

 the sculptor or the martyr alone have it. 

 It burns to-day with subdued passion but 

 with all its pristine and unmitigated fierce- 

 ness in the life of every true student of 

 nature. 



What is it that can sustain a man when 

 every new avenue of thought discovered is 

 but the approach to countless avenues be- 

 yond; when to finish, be it after years of 

 labor, is only to be ready to begin ; Avhat 

 encourages him when the unknown looms 

 with greater vastness as the known is more 

 profoundly mastered; when the very pin- 

 nacle of attainment is the sublime con- 

 sciousness of ignorance, and when to be 

 most renowned is to be most devoutly 

 liumble? It is the inspiration which il- 

 lumined the life of our friend, our col- 

 league, our teacher. Long may his ideals 

 guide us at Brown ! 



Carl Barus. 



Brow.n University. 



THE ASTRONOMICAL AND A8TR0PHYSICAL 

 SOCIETY OF AMERICA. 



Tbe sixth meeting of the society was 

 held December 27-30, 1904, at Philadel- 

 phia, Pa., during convocation week, in 

 affiliation with the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science. 



Three sessions of the society for the read- 

 ing and discussion of papers and the trans- 

 action of business were held in room 106, 

 College Hall, University of Pennsylvania, 

 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 

 afternoons. The number of members pres- 

 ent at some time during the meeting was 

 thirty-six and the average attendance was 

 about fifty. 



A pleasant social feature connected with 

 the meeting was an informal dinner at the 

 Hotel Walton, Thursday evening, at which 

 twenty-six members and friends were pres- 

 ent. Through the courtesy of Director 

 Doolittle, a number of the members had the 

 pleasure of examining the equipment of 

 the Flower Observatory of the University 

 of Pennsylvania at Upper Darby, and by 

 the courtesy of Professor Snyder the ex- 

 tensive astronomical equipment of the 

 Philadelphia Observatory was inspected by 

 a considerable party. 



During the meeting five new members 

 were elected. The selection of a time and 

 place for the next meeting was left open 

 for future action by the council. 



The officers elected were: 



For 1905: 



President — Simon Newcomb. 



First Vice-President — George E. Hale. 



Second Vice-President — W. W. Campbell. 



Treasurer — C. L. Doolittle. 

 For 1905-6: 



Councilors — W. S. Eichelberger, Ormond Stone. 



On account of the contemplated absence 

 from the country of G. C. Comstock for the 

 greater part of the year 1905, W. S. Eichel- 

 berger was elected by the council as acting 

 secretary. 



