428 PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 
584th Meeting. April 9, 1904. 
Vice-President Littlehales in the chair. 
Twenty-two persons present. 
Mr. Bauer spoke informally of further magnetograph records 
of an earthquake-shock on March 16. There are instances of 
such records on about 30 different dates. 
Mr. R. A. Harris read a paper on Some indications of land in 
the vicinity of the North Pole, viz., the direction and velocity of 
the surface currents, the very old ice N. E. of Alaska, and the 
tides; the conclusion is that a large trapezoidal tract of land may 
extend from near the North Pole towards Alaska and eastern 
Siberia. [Published in the National Geographic Magazine, 
June, 1904.] 
The subject was discussed by Mr. Dall. 
Mr. G. R. Stetson then read a paper on President Stiles and 
his times, Yale, 1778-1795, based on his recently published 
voluminous diaries. They give a vivid picture of the political, 
intellectual, social, moral, and religious conditions of the time. 
[Not published.] 
585th Meeting. April 22-23, 1904. 
A joint meeting with the American Physical Society was held 
on April 22 and 23. Twenty papers were read Friday p. m. 
and Saturday a. m. Saturday a luncheon was given at the 
Hotel Barton to the visiting guests, 60 persons sitting down 
at the tables. Past-President Newcomb presided, and spoke a 
few words of welcome, which were responded to by the President 
of the Physical Society, Professor A. G. Webster. 
On Friday evening Vice-President Littlehales presided, and 
over sixty persons were present. 
Mr. A. G. Bell delivered an address on Tetrahedral kites. He 
exhibited numerous small kites, and the cells out of which large 
kites are built up, showing the ingenious principle of combina¬ 
tion. Many lantern slides showed the sizes, shapes, and manner 
of flight of the large kites that he had flown at his .experimental 
