66 The American Geologist. January, loos, 
ill the world. The object is to preserve this intensely interest- 
ing region from further depredations and vandalism. 
The late meetings of the Geological Society of 
America, of the American Association for the Advancement 
of Science, and of over twenty other scientific societies, at 
Washington, were an event of no ordinary importance for Amer- 
ican science. No such gathering of scientific men resident in 
America ever before took place. The only meetings that could 
be compared with it were those of the joint meetings of the 
British and American Associations for the Advencement of 
Science, or some of the international congresses held in Amer- 
ica. The number in attendance on the Geological Society of 
America was about 115, the largest meeting hitherto having 
been 80. Section E of the Association and the Geological So- 
ciety held joint meetings, the papers listed being more than 
90. Most of these were presented in the meeting room of the 
U. S. Geological Survey, but a series of papers relating to the 
West Indies were given in the Columbian University. An 
illustrated popular lecture on the volcanic phenomena of Mont 
Pelee was given by Prof. I. C. Russell, and the retiring ad- 
dress of president Winchell was given in the New Willard 
hotel. Mr. John Hays Hammond gave a popular lecture at 
the Lafayette Opera House, on "King Solomon's mines, or 
the mines of Ophir." The week was diversified with numer- 
ous dinners, luncheons and receptions and with visits to var- 
ious public buildings. 
Owing to the crowded condition of the meetings, several 
of the sections and affiliated societies suffered from the friction 
and the duplication of the machinery of administration, but it 
was only for the relief of Section E that the Council of the 
Association took general action, in the adoption of the follow- 
ing resolution : 
Resolved, That Section E is hereby authorized to suspend its sci- 
entific program of the reading of papers at any winter meeting when 
the: Geological Society of America meets in conjunction with the As- 
sociation ; provided, that the Geological Society includes in its pro- 
gram the papers of worthy character offered by members of the Sec- 
tion who are not fellows of the Society. 
The Association, how'ever, requires each Section to hold 
at least one afternoon meeting, during each general meeting of 
the Association when a program of general interest shall be 
presented. At such meeting it is likely that in future the ad- 
dress of the retiring chairman of Section E will be heard. 
The new president of the Geological Society is S. F. Em- 
mons, Washington, and the vice-president. Section E, is I. C. 
Russell, Ann Arbor. The next annual meeting will be convo- 
cation week 1903-04, at St. Louis. The new president of the 
American Association is Carroll D. Wright, Washington. 
