ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE SOCIETY* 
REPORT OF A SPECIAL COMMITTEE, COMPOSED OF 
F. H. BIGELOW, J. HOWARD GORE, AND W. H. DALL. 
Submitted, Amended, and Adopted in the Following Form at the 490th 
Meeting of General Committee, November 26, 1898. 
It is proposed to assume some additional functions, and in 
nowise to abandon any ground now held by the Society. The 
general scope of science and exact knowledge may be cultivated, 
not only by the reading and discussion of papers explaining the 
researches carried out by individuals, as in the past, but also by 
direct agencies tending to promote science where it most needs 
active w T ork; therefore, 
I. Resolved , That three standing committees be appointed an¬ 
nually, as follows: 
1. Committee on Mathematical Science , including Astronomy, 
Geodesy, Mechanics, and allied subjects. 
2. Committee on Physical Science , including Electricity and 
Magnetism, Meteorology, Terrestrial Magnetism, and 
kindred topics. 
3. Committee on General Science, including subjects not re¬ 
served for the other committees but suitable for discus¬ 
sion by this Society. 
The chairmen of these committees shall be chosen annually 
by a majority vote of the General Committee ; the members shall 
be appointed by the chairmen of the same from the Society at 
large, and associate members from outside the roll of the Society 
may also be added, if desired. These committees shall each 
make a specific report annually upon one or more of their special 
topics, which shall be published in the Bulletin, stating the re¬ 
cent progress and the desiderata of science in the respective 
branches. They shall also, under the direction of the Commit- 
(xv) 
