Januaet 1, 1886.] 



SCIENCE. 



7 



— An Italian ship has been sheathed with glass 

 plates, cast like iron plates, so as to fit the hull, to 

 take the place of copper sheathings. The joints 

 of the plates are made water-tight by the use of 

 waterproof mastic. The advantages claimed for 

 glass over copper are its insensibility to oxidation 

 and its exemption from incrustation. 



WASHINGTON LETTER. 



At the last meeting of the Philosophical society 

 the evening was devoted entirely to the election of 

 officers for the ensuing year, and the reception of 

 the annual reports of the secretaries and treasurer. 

 The report of the secretaries included some com- 

 parisons of the work of the society in 1885 with 

 that of 1884, a resume of which will doubtless be 

 of interest to many readers of Science who are con- 

 nected with scientific societies in other parts of the 

 country. 



The number of new members admitted in 1885 

 was 20, while in the previous year 35 were added 

 to the roll. The total active membership has in- 

 creased from 173 in 1884, to 183 at the close of 1885. 

 Sixteen meetings were held in 1885, one more than 

 in the previous year. The average attendance at 

 these meetings has increased from 42 in 1884, to 

 48 in 1885, showing a considerably greater percent- 

 age of increase than that in the active member- 

 ship. The number of papers presented was the 

 same in both years, being 32 ; while the number of 

 persons taking part in the discussions increased 

 from 38 to 41. The 'general committee,' which 

 transacts most of the business of the society, con- 

 sists of 17 members. The average attendance at 

 the meetings of this committee was 11.9 in 1884, 

 and 12.1 in 1885. 



To this exhibit ought to be added that of the 

 mathematical section of the society, which held 

 six meetings in 1885 with an average attendance 

 of 15, these numbers being identical with those for 

 the previous year. The section received 11 papers 

 in 1884, and 14 in 1885. 



Altogether the showing is indicative of steady 

 progress. In round numbers, it may be said to 

 enroll two hundred active members, and at any of 

 its meetings one is tolerably certain to find as many 

 as fifty people. 



The report of the treasurer was also satisfactory, 

 showing the financial condition of the society to be 

 excellent. It must not be forgotten that within a 

 few years three vigorous societies have ' swarmed ' 

 from this, including the anthropological, biologi- 

 cal, and chemical societies of Washington, and 

 that one or two of them are larger than the 

 parent society. By careful attention to the 

 character of the papers presented, the committee 



on communications has prevented specialization, 

 and has thus succeeded in retaining the support 

 and loyalty of those interested in all departments 

 of science. The philosophical society is not yet 

 fifteen years old, but it promises to be one of the 

 three or four leading scientific societies in the 

 country. 



The joint committee of congress for the con- 

 sideration of the scientific bureaus of the govern- 

 ment continued its work up to the holiday recess. 

 It is said that the geological survey was recently 

 the subject of a searching investigation at its 

 hands, the examination having to do principally 

 with business methods and financial transactions. 

 As stated in a previous letter, the recent addresses 

 of the retiring presidents of some of the societies 

 were devoted, in some degree, to the consideration 

 of the absorbing question of the relation of the 

 government to scientific work ; and it is known 

 that at least one member of the joint committee 

 availed himself of the opportunity then afforded to 

 learn something of the views of representative 

 scientific men, expressed with that freedom from 

 restraint which is characteristic of communications 

 of that nature. The committee is expected to 

 report in January. 



The ' star-eyed goddess of reform,' as represented 

 by the auditors of the treasury department, very 

 properly shows herself to be blind to the existence 

 of party lines or political affiliations. Commis- 

 sioner Coleman of the agricultural bureau has 

 recently had an account suspended against him, 

 amounting to $1,800, arising out of the purchase of 

 seeds for distribution by members of congress 

 among their constituents. The purchase was made 

 very soon after his appointment, and appears to be 

 precisely similar in character to those which gave 

 rise to the much larger discrepancy in the accounts 

 of his predecessor, Commissioner Loring. It will 

 not be regretted if the adjustment of these ac- 

 counts leads to a revolution in the manner of con- 

 ducting the seed-business in the department, which 

 has for many years diverted a large part of the 

 annual appropriation from channels in which it 

 might have been made tributary to the real prog- 

 ress of agriculture. 



The friends of Dr. Emil Bessels will regret to 

 learn of the loss he has sustained in the burning of 

 his residence in Prince George county, Md. , not far 

 from Washington. The fire occurred on Christmas 

 morning, and it is stated that the doctor himself 

 had a narrow escape. The principal and irrepara- 

 ble loss was his library, which is said to have been 

 entirely destroyed. It included a large collection 

 of rare and costly scientific books, valuable manu- 

 scripts, and arctic charts. Z. 



Washington, D.C., Dec. 28. 



