SCIENCEVOL. LVII J.ANUTARY 26, 1923 No. 'I465

TIHE AhMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THIEADVANCEMIENT OF SCIENCE

Boston, December 26-30, 1922Th'l P1'7 rn1ian1ent Scuretary 's Report on1 the

Bostoni Meeting: PROFESSOR BURTON E.Livi NGSTON -9.......... S9

The Cofuncil Roll at Bostoni 96

Proceedings of the Conncil andc^ ExecittiveComnmittee at Boston? 9..---...-....... 09

PTiiia Cal Cp))orts .. 1,02

Pellovcshii) Llection-Is----------- .. I------------... 102

Resoltionis (adopted by the Council.. .103

The Boston S4cssiovs of S( ct ions ald Soccties:

li ?trodl ctori/ Note 106)Mc.athematics: PROFESSOR WILLIAM It.Rf?.OFVER, PROFESSOR R. G. D. RICHARD-SON, PROFESSOR W. D. CxIRNS 1()7

Phy1siCS: DR. OTTO KOPPIIS,lPROFESSORDAYTON C. MILLER 1 .-0-

('In Mi8st'r,: PIROFIrSSOR WV. D. HRARKINS 10Astron1omiy: PROFESSOR F. R. MIOULTON\,PROFESSOR JOEL STEBBINS .-.-.-1-I

G(eology andl 6eogrIap)hy: PROFESSOR E. S.M OORE 1 11

ZoologiCal SCieneCS: PROFESSOR HERBERTW. RAND, PROFESSOR C. L. 'METCALF, DR.A. F. BIURGESS, IPROzESSOR I. F. LEwAIS. 113

AnIthrt-opology: IPROFESSOR E. A. HOOTO- 117PsyChol0gyj: I'ROFESSOR '. N. FREEM1AN-.- 118S

C(harles D. WJ'alcott, Prcsidct of the A)ier-ican2 Association for the Advanic nvint of

SCience.- -120 120Organvization, Work and(1 Purposes of tinAi nerican1 Association for the Adrlaniceiie)ttof SCi(. nCC: IPROFESSOR BURTON E. LIv.ING,STON ----. -.-L 121

SCIENCE: A Weekly Journal devoted to theAdvancement of Science, publishing the officialnotices and proceedings of the American Asso-ciation for the Advancement of Science, edited byJ. McKeen Cattell and published every Friday by

THE SCIENCE PRESS100 Liberty St., Utica, N. Y. Garrison, N. Y.

New York City: Grand Central TerminalAninual Subscription, $6.00 Single Copies, 15 Cts.Entered as second-class matter January 21, 1922, at the

Post Office at Utica, N. Y., Under the Act of March 3, 1879.

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FORTHE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCETHE PERMANENT SECRETARY'S REPORT

ON THE BOSTON MEETING(GENERAL FEATIURES

TjiE seveity-sixth mneeting of the Ai-mericals.soiationI for the A(dvancemient of ScieIce

ailfl of the associated s('ientific societies caimeto a1ii enid in Camihbridlge, M11assachusetts, onSaturdlay December 30, having been openedon the eveniing of Tuesda-, December 26. ThisNas the afinnlual imeeting, of tlhe association year

1 923, for the .associaltioni year legins October 1.It is aceotiiitedl the fourtlh Bostoni meeting,although the first meeting after the organiza-tion of the association 'was held in Cambridge.More correctly, the meeting just ended was- thefiftlh Eloston meeting.

aVs g-reat coinvention of American nmeln aindwx-omilen of scienc(e, as ani exposition of Amer-1('an s(tilntifie work andlt in every way the meet-ing was entirely suceessful. In attendanee italmIost equalled the Chicago meeting, held in1)Jecember, 1920, which is recorded as havinghad the largest. registration (!2,413) in the his-tory otf the association. Nio past meetinig hasbeen the equal of the sexventy-sixth with respectto the completeness with -which the numeroushells of science were represented on the pro-grains, andI tlhis is also true with respect to thearrangement of the meeting places and the(co1;Nvelience of the facilities for the inumeroussectio n u-md. societv sessions.The total number of persons who registered

at tle Boston mneeting is 2,339, and it is appar-ent, that a largef-ai led to register.i-s shownii helow:

TheAlalianlaArizona .-Arkansas.-..-....California .. .....

Colorado --.- ---(Connecticut .Delaware - ..-

number were present whoThe registration bv regions

UT;nitUd States3 Dist. Columbia ...... 1253 Florida ................ 54 Georgia -.--------------- 8

18illiinois . .. ............... 796 Iindiana ---------- 18

92 Iowa ------------------- 18iiKass---------......... 8

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iKentu'k\Lotiisiantn

aineMarvInnaII1Afassachusctts..(Bostoni and CaIiin

bridge, 5)62)MichiganMlinnesotaMississippiMissouriMfontalaNebraska'-New HlampshireNew Jersey.------New MlexicIo

AustralIia --------

Belgiumirazil

C:iiianadaC'zeehio SlovakiaChiiiaEngland(luateinalaHlawaii ---------

1Indlia. ........

6

4341

83S

48'273

19431

49lift

-New York-North ( arodina.N-orthi Dakot-a

O hlioOklahomiaOregonlP~ennsvlvaniaRhiode Islanid--TennesseeTrex,as\VerimonitVirginlia\Waslhin.toiiW~est Virainia-

thcr C'ountries1 Japan

8 P1anamia

3 Porto Rlico..11 Russia1 Siami1 'Switzerland3 South Africa

4(12

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62)

IS

17

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All of the fifteeni sec-tions of the a--sociationwvere w(l11e'presentetd in the Pro8-Tram111s anidthi rty-tw( socicties met wvith thte'-e. (O)f t liesoeiceties meeting at Boston, twventyv setven a4reaissociated withi the association,meidntwenty affilliatedI -ocleties. Altogether, (iii liiidred and( tortv onie -leintific se---it)4ti-Were laid(,as well a1 a large0' nnmn1ybci- otb-4 (- 'oiColinni1ttet- meetIagI-,liilie-4 Ithi aI( o!is,smnoker,, etc. Noi fieldI of scientific enbleavor_Was Vahollv iiiil1-ep)rc-~nted in. tin~- -re:lt array (ifpaper, amid adtdre---c-s that wer-e I VCen

Thi-, mneeting1 Wa-I held onil iati theAa-ciit In-i, it it e i-f TedclIolt-tat ao

llrxrtIaici i. I- f thle e 01-io Wk-icheld ill thle mnainlmili~~it I f--e--eltt hi-ltituls. r 1,ii-in- i ramia-Ito fuam i-h vecry ext-elpttuoial foe ili Iics ticr thi.`ki d1(1 of comleatonm. SonII- o(I~it -tel o nsocietie- itet athav IIvxer-i-tv,10ltin

sesal A lIiit\-wci hell at tIe- S'tate hiin-4iamit a it", itt hit-tel". The re- atoiroom.the -MM1oIlttil lO ll ititilefi tiftiti'liii iiiOi-i', etc.,wercr li--t In the I -'ra t t I eii ot)I jalI ui tiIdini1oiil Ma,- -aehtsctts Avenue. \X'iih vervi feW e,\t(u)tiit til ~5-iii10010" iWe it- under tlie Same

r-oof witli tie reo i-stration tocno, zti(l I t wN,ag0enerll-1y itio~t n(-(-esaiv It) go out of-' dt)ors iii

(it hier. Titi feoturce wa- zreatlv ithl-tpp inited,t--tei-ll' IVdietav, Thmr-dayw aid Fri-

day, NNhich were eohlt wvithi ivind aitid sniow\.Excellenit luInceon01S were very efficiently servedin the Walker Memorial Building, a shiort dis-tanece from thle mnainl orou0l) of: buildings. Alto-g-ether, the sess.ion r(oomn anid othier facilitieswere as nearly Iperfcct as any that the associa-tioii hlas (vit ellJoe(t. A large anti efficienit'or'1)s of, -tlidsc mtatte it eas5v for those inattend(ance to biud( thieir, wax' troui place toplace in the enlorimous b)nt very simpi~ly arrang-edseries of roonas aIi(l corridlors. The finie hiospitalitv oll. the Instituite of Techinology, HarvardIVuive,rsitv aind of the Bostoni fri-ends of science,WhIeich adte the meeting, such a pronouncedsuccess,y Was grieatly appreciated.

The excellent prelimniiaary arrang-ements wNeremna(le by the local eommittee for the fourthiBTh.stomn meeting, tlme members of whIceli took upjhtis implortanat -work last s~pring. During' tlae

last two niouithis before the meetling the coniimuitee an( It sucm ittees iwer niecessrlvtriiv hisv in(ee(l. A ('onsi(leral)le ftuiti was

rai',ed by suibscriptioni to cove,r thie extra. cx

i)(eiise oil thle meecclint. Thle association mieniihers anid the freiends of semence in Bostonires~poiitledl very genierously , anii the associationivivlies It) exp)rves hiere its al)ppreeiative thianik-to fI ose 5111)re',one and( all.

To the sutaff of the Massachuisetts, Inistituiteof Technology the hearty t bankils of' the assoLcta1iion are due, for the fr-ee use of their officesaml, elassrtoomi anid flor thie finie and inspiringe xhtih ,ioi ot the ust-41itte laboraitoric" on\Vele(I d(Ia v aftIerniiooni . Thie eaoIatIon1I -

retv t elledt to Hiwanni I. nimersit, ab'~o,foir the II.,, ol, some of it"~100110, atI"1 csesiteeallvfor- ilIn' v-i-y ph-ta"ant a nid protitzable Haiart iI1 )av, 'ThuI-t tI.dzv, Av it Iit-; vccrv enIIJox abe

Th'le loca-l (onitiitifttee oiisistted of the follow-IYIg In('in1bl)er4 S. ( . P~reseott, c( Iit11mino. A. L..TowVii.-ii(I, ctictturi, l'verctt Ator)lss, ircasmot11. 5. Ioril, a(i-'' t0it tiPa105rct F're1tderick L.\elle, (b. C. -Anthonly, I. \V. Bfailey, (leo. 1-1.Bartoni, R. I). Bigelow, Miss A.. F'. Blood, Aixis.Er. P-. C'unnin-hanm, . J. flenldersoni, A. FHoIne-,, Alexander I nglis, E. S. Kimig, A. B.Lat,Waldeinar Lintlgren.ii 11. F'. Lo-bdell,

Tlheodore, Lv-muan, MXrs. lb' C. -Ahtaclanirin, 11. V'.Neale,, J. F". Nors,(. L. -Ntrtonl WV. J. VO-terliout, (I. fl. Parker, -Nathan van Patten,[1. 'Shlaplex. 11. AV. Thi'r, AV. _M. _Wheeler,

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JANE-ARY2r6, 1923]

E. C. Wilm. The subcommittees were asfollows: Hospitality, C. L. Nortoni; Enter-tain?meent, J. F. Norris and A. B. Lamb;Hotel ard Dinners, A. L. Townlsend; Trans-portation, H. S. Ford; Meeting Places IS. C.Prescott and A. L. Townsend; Exhibits,R. P. Bigelow; General Program, S. C.Prescott; Publicity, F. L. Allen and H. E.Lobdell; Membership, G. H. Barton; Registrca-tion, A. F. Holmes. Each section of the asso-ciation and each society that met with the asso-eiation at Boston was locally represented bvonie or more persons who cared for its specialneeds, in consultation with the local committeeand the sub-comnmittees. To all of these localrepresentatives, as well as to the local com-mittee and the subcommittees, the cordialthanks of the assoeiation and of the associatedsocieties are here expressed. It is a pleasureto record here sp)ecially the very efficient workof Professor Prescott, Mr. Townsend and Mr.Alleni, whose untiring services to the associa-tion continue(l throughout the meeting. Areport of the local committee will be made tothe peimanent secretary for the use of futurelocal committees.

The genieral secretary and the permanentsecretarv visited Boston at the end of Novem-ber to help the local committee in the finalstao,es of the general preparations, anid thepreliniinarv announcement of the meeting w%vaspublished slhortly after the permanent secre-tar\-'s retuirn. It was sent to all wlhose nameswere at that time on the roll of the associationl.Thle announcement is larger than any earlierassoeiation puiblication of this kindi, containingseventy-eight pages, and many members e-

pre\.-,e(l theiri gratification as to its form andcompleteness. A niew featuire, introduced forthe first tillme ill this announcement, is a twelve-pao'e preliminary account of the session pro-graims, as far as iniformationi about these wasavailable aIt the timIle. It is planned for thefLutuire that the features about which memberswiAh to be informed early will be publishedseparately from the rest of the announcementandl munich earlier than it is possible to issue theprogramn niotes. Thley will probably appear inthe coluins off SCIENCE about November 1.

The genieral program of tlme fou rth Bostonmeeting, ani attractive book of 158 pages in agray paper wrapper wvith redt letterinlg, was

ready for distribution before noon on Tues-day, December 2'6. In excellence of style anidtypographical work, as well as in size, it sur-passes all earlier programs published by theassociation. The usefulness of the programwas greatly enhaneed by a summary of events,arranged by session periods, inserted just be-fore the program pages. This valuable featureof the programi enabled each person to deter-mine at a glance which of the many simul-taneous sessions he might wish to attend.To the section and society secretaries and

other section and society officers we owe theprograms themselves, and it is fitting that ap-preciative aeknowledgment be here made oftheir tireless and continued work in arrangingthe programs, a work that needs to be accom-plished mainly in a very short time just beforethe mieeting, and frequently involves consider-able difficulties.

That the genieral program is serving a usefulpurpose is shown by the fact that an inereas-ingly large number of those in attendance arecoming to rely on it almost exclusively. It maybe regretted that the publication of so manyseparate society programs is necessary forthese meetings, and it might be worth while toconsider wlhether arrangemnents can not be madeby which the societies would depend whollyupon the general program and reprinlts thereof,whieh mighlt be fiurnished to the societies at avery low cost. No small saving might thus beaccomplished.

The most serious difficulty insvolved in tIhepreparation of the general program was, asusual, dlue to the fact that imiany of the asso-eiated societies are obliged to leav-e their pro-,rams open until very late, so that iianuseriptsfor these were in manly cases not received untila few -lays-before the prinrtiing of the program.All of the printinga wvas done in the last weekbefore the opening of the mneeting. The workof editing' was largely performed by the as-sistant secretary, who was in Boston duringthe entire week just before the mneeting, attend-in- to this wvork.

Copies of the Boston programn wXill be sent tomembers who remit five cents for postage tothe permanent secretary's Washington office.

The official badge for the meeting was asinall celluloid buttoni, about two centimetersin diameter, a red-bordered, silver circle, with

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the legend "A. A. A. S., Boston, 1922."Besides the badge, the general programe and(l

ail additioiial copy o)f the preliminary ani-]iouneenlent, ca(h person. registering at theBostoin meetillg reciN-eed, Withl the complimnentsof GiniJl and(i Co-mipany., a copy of Edwin Ml.Bacon's "Iostoil. a1 grllde 1)ook to tlei ( ity andl-icinity, ani attractive b)ook of about one hun-dired and fiftytpages;, bouiiid ini rell ( lot11 w ithgilt lettering and containing numeriIu ii lutiations ali(I inaps as well as initerestiIng accountsof historie lanIdmarks, etc. FoIr the tiholght Lidicourtesy of the (lonior- ot tllis little o)(iok wxereexpressedl the sincere thantks of the assocliatioll,of thle a-soe itatl societies anil e splecially of allipersons N\xho attendled1 thle meetill. It al(dedn- to thIe( 1plealsres and irotits of thle Illeet-

III0,' 1)(l'iO0d.

E,xhibitiiona of S-cictiifi Ap)paratalis (idi(l

A ver-v saftisfatorv eXhibitiOIl of seiluntilic(applIalatuls aniil inaterials was heldI thlrou-lhoutthe meeting, ini the large (draffing roomi oni thefourth floor of thle main huilding of the insti-tute. Thliis wN-as in charge of Professor Rf. P.BXigelow, awhose efficient services in this (-01111cctiomi were very gr eatly a)l)reetiated lby all illaIttendance. A nullmher' ofw'ell-kikno1wn1 firnmsian inistitutioIns took part in the exhihitioi, andexcellent oppIortumnity -was aft(i)rd(ed to vie\x Ilia-terials anid specimiens of various kinds and111 tooiser,e al)pparatus in oplerlatioil. Tlhe, ex1hil-tioni included clear andl opaque futised-quartz,optical glass, insulators, instruments for long--range transmission of light, nicroscopes, pro-,ectiomi apparatuls, telescopes, electr-ic ovens andother electric appliances, geological nuo)dels andrelief maps, ehemical apparatus and l)iologicalsi)eciieidsand ino(dlels.

EXtli)its pertaining to the sessions of a nulm-her of thie sectiolli .1fl( societies we-vre to lefoullnd ill 10115is niear tlhe correspondingilieetingplaees. In coninection Awith the meeting- o)

(etion1 Li ami e xhlihit xvas shownt that imohided1)ook>, phlotograp)hls, engravings and otlher oh-jects of interest in r'elatioii to tIle hiistoiv Ofscienie, especially a collectioIn of hListoricalb14)01ks )01 pulysics. The Am1er-ican1 Soeietx otZoologists exhib)ited mileroscopi pIrepl)aratl10osliving aInd presel-ved zoological specimIenS,mnanuser1ipts an(1 draw1iings. Th(e Amnerlical1n As-

sociatioll of Ec (onoimiie Enlitomologists had aniextensive exhibit p)ertaining to inisect pests anidtheir colntr-ol. The Botaniieal Societv ofAmerica, flhe Ameriean Phytopathological So-ciety,tvSllu[llivaIlt MOSS Societv an(l the Eco-lhg-ical Societx of Ameriea (lisplavedl interest-iM!g (-Ollecti (i,of b)ooks, Microscpical anldother preparations, ildrawings an(d charts, andliving, as well as prleservwedt iiological speci-

At special exh'fibition O(f the inistituite labora-torlie Ill operation was held oni WVednes(laya fteriuon. The visiting- mnemb)ers of the asso-clatimin wx crc affoirdeil ani excellenit opportunityto inll})ect thlie eltire group of mnagn-iifieenit1)ilil(ihus 11.11( lallboratories blelonging to theinstitute. (4uides directedI v'isitors to the vari-ous places of interest, aii(l mnemibers of the fac-ultv anld -tafl' wvere in alttenilaInec to explailn-p d.ia features.

-Soc-iel tIi(/ ];at?ertaiumneWt JFea1t- cs of theJeeting

Among thw many social and eintertainmelntf1(4tt-ltue: (ttof 114 meeting s11oil(l be Imlentionedthle folloxx ilg

A. gi-ilerlI': Ireceptionl in Walker Memorial Build-inig follow log the, opeiii1g exercises on Tuesdayt"xcll ill g .

Te:i was ser ved by the Boston womell ill theE11111iRIllogers Rooli of the Alss-achusetts Inisti-ttiteoic Te(Ihimology oil the afternoons of \Wedlnes-lax, Tinurs(Lia anid 1fridlav.Tile Ameri-anll Acadtdeln of A-ts (and( Scines

of -Boston hellU open lhouse,l thiroughout 1lhe meet-illg, for nllel1eI -s (It thle lsss0cilltioii amid theirfriciol(s. rea was sex-ed each afternoon.

'tFe ot(lege (1111) (t Bostoni extellledl tile privi-leges of its i-m11-auing roonis aniid -est aurants tovisitinlg Avoomen :111di their frieiiIs, tlirioighouit theI1iet; 11g.

Frle tihrarx aire-11 dijiri'iIo(ii if tlle Affiliaite'dTc(hliil-li1 Societies of lBoSton Wiv-ts op(n to xisiti-,rsfor tIn-e ileeting.On WVednesdayv a fternoon the A1ilseulli of Finie

Arts w Is pen to those at0ten(ling t1he mieetinlg, ajn(letli(-ielnt gLuidles coiiuitiete(i xisitors tinrollghl tileMuseuii- lea was serxvedl v ilie wivtIIell connliect-c1l witlh t ie \lmsellmll.

Thle lilt)itilitor1ies of tile Ar.iss;i -iiusetts Imistittiteif riiieh1ologv xu cer- open to the iilslpectioli of

v i sit irs on\IWeilnIesdl:,xv aftelru00m. 811(l mnenmlersof til< sta t s1crc pi esent to explAimi the illn:yliltevest imlgr .1( instrucetive feaItures.

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Tlhursday, Decemiiber 28, was Harvard lDav.Visitinlg mnemnbers aindI their friendIs were guestsof the uiniversitv, andI courteous guiides conductedparties to poiInts of interest. A complim-entaryluncheon was served in Memorial Mall.On Thursday eveniing there wais aa exhilition

of educational motion pictutres, the filhs beingfurnishied bY the Society for Visual Educatioi,of Chicago; and Dr. F. R. MoultoII, professorof astronomy in the Uiniversity of Chicago andsecretary of the society, spoke with reference tothe pictures that were sh1own.Women interested in scientific work ha.(d a1

luncheon on Fri(day at Riv-er BanIk. Couirt, andMiss AnIe S;. Yoiing, of th1e astronomical depart-ment of Mount Ilolyoke College, spoke in ininteresting and inspiring wtay on the part to beplayed by women in science.The board of trustees arnd the, libratrian of tihe

public library of the city of BostoIl. were thehosts of association menibers aii(1 their friend(ison Friday afternoon. Docents condueted grotupsof guests throuigh the eentral buildling onI (CopleSquare, anid tea w.as served in the staff 1r(oom1.The Northeast ern Section of tbe American

Chemiecal Societv tendelered, a omplliplimeuntasmoker to members of Section C. ((Chemistry) o

Friday evening.Bv special invitation a iiumInhber of those attenil(

ing the meeting visitedl the Massa,chusetts Agricultural College at Amhlerst orn Fridax aind Sat-urdav.The buildings of Wellesle. College, at Welles-

ley, Massachusetts, were openi, by special invitli-tioni, to visitors on Saturdtax afterniooni, and teawas servedl informally in the Shakespeare hoIuose.A number of those ini attendalnice at the leet-

ing, especially those of Seetion K (Soci:al andlEconomic Sciences), visited W<ellesIey Hlills oniSaturday on special invitationl of the BabsoiInstituite arid the Babson StatisticaIl Oraanizti-tion. AMotor cars were provi(led for a, visit to thenew campus and buildinlgs of the Babsoni Insti-tute and a complimentlarytlu1nchePeon was pIro idled.at the Club H-fouse.

Dinners and BanquetsEvery evening of the meeting was charac-

terized by one or more dinners lheld bv thevarious groups of men anid womoleii of scienicewho were jn attendance. Oni Wednesday oc-eurred the Ladies' Dinnler of the AmericanMathematical Society. On the same eveeningwere held the Ecological Society dinInier aIn(the annual dinner of the Society of Sigmia Xi.On Thursda-y were held (linlners for the fol-

lowing grouls: the mathematicians, the zoolo-gists (wvith the a(ldress of the retirinig presidenitof the American Society of Zoologists and theretiring vice-presideent for Sectioin F, AmeicarnAssociation for the Advanieemenit of Scienee,Dr. C. A. Kofoid), the botanists (with the ad-(dress of the retiring president of the BotanicalSoeiety of America, Dr. C. E. Allen), the an-thropologists, the psychologists (with the ad-dres's of the retiring president of the AmericanPEsychological Association, Dr. Knight Dun-lap), and the agroniomist s. The AmericanNature-study Society held a dinner on Thur.s-day in honor of Mlrs. Anna B. Comstock, W11hhas lon-g beein professor of nature-study in Cor-nell lniiversitv. The banquiet of the NewEngiand Forestry Congress was also heldTrhuirsday evening, anil visiting students of for-es,trv were invited.

The following groups hield dinniers on Fri-dlay: the phiysicists, the entomologists, thephylo)pathologists, the natuiralists (with the ad-dress of the retiring presi(dent of the AmericanSocietY of Naturalists, Dr. W. -M. Wheeler),ain(I the Gamimna Alphia Graduate ScientificFraternity.

The dinner of the Metric Association oc-

curred onr Saturday evening, followed by aniinlormnal sessiin of the association, at which a

number of speakers addressed those in attend-ance.

Publicity Arrangements at Boston

The public arrangemeints at the fourthBostoin meeting were very excellent indeed, mutchmiiore efficient than those at any earlier meetingof the association. The publicity office in thePratt Memorial Building rwas in charge of Mr.Frederick L. Allen, secretary to the Corpora-tion of Har-vard University, who acted as chair-man of the subcommittee oIn publicity, AmericanAssoceiation for the Advancement of Science.He organized an efficient corps of workers, whoprepalred mimeograph copy on the variouspapei's (and addresses, havinig resulting sheetspromptly ready for the representatives of the(laily press. The result was a very satisfactoryexample of this kinl of publicity work, whichby its very lnature is exceedingly difficult. Thenewspapers of Boston and maniy other largecenIters as well gave mulch space to the associa-tion throughout the week. Especially did the

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Boston Transcript give it fiine service to scieiieea.nd education anid to the association.

Mr. Alleni and his .sunbeoinittee on publicityreceived much lhelp from Science Service, whichag,ain cooperated in a verv fine spirit with theassociation in its endeavors to spread the sci-entific news of the mneeting aind to arouse publicinterest in the work of our organization. Sci-ence Service is an institution established inWashington under the control of the AmericanAssociation for the Advancement of Science,the National Academy of Sciences and the Na-tional Researlch Couneil. Its sole puirpose is todisseminate scientific information through thenewspapers. Its editor, Dr. Edwin E. Slosson,was present ,throughout the meeting, taking partin the work of the publicity office. The valuablehelp received on this occasion from Dr. Slossonand from MIr. Waatson Davis, also of ScienceService, is greatly appreciated by the associa-tion.A letter requesting advanced abstracts of

papers to be given at the approaching sessionswaas sent out by Science Service to every personwhose name appeared in the session programs,just as soon as the manuscripts for these pro-grams we-re received bv the permanent secre-tary's office. On the arrival of each programmanuseript, eopies of this letter were sent toall whose names appeared in the program, andnmost of the letters were sent out in ample timefor replies to be received in Washington bvScience Service a week or more before theopening of the meeting. As the abstracts camnein, copies were promptly forwarded, in dailybatches, to Mr. Allen at Cambridge, and hispublicity office thus came into possession of alarge aimiount of advance material to wvork upon,wlhieh was used to great advantage. Altogether,nearly 250 abstracts wvere received, during theperiod from December 7 to the time of the meet-ing. The permanent secretary wishes here toexpress the thanks of the association officersand Science Service to the members who re-sponcled promptly to the "blue sheet" requestfor advaniee abstracts. To the pains thus takenat a crowded and busy time by so many of thosewho were to speak a4t the meeting is largelydue the pronounced success attaiined by ourpublicity office at Boston.

Besides the great service performed by Mr.

Allen and his staff, mainly thbrough the localplress, Science Service prlepared and sent outunder release date 59 advance accounits coveringthe meeting. These were in the Daily ScienceNewt,s Bulletin regularly sent out by tlle Serviceto nearly 50 daily newspapers and magazines,reaching perhaps between two and three mil-lions of readers throuighout the United States.In addition to this advance mail service in theDaily Newcs Bulletin, Science Service tele-graphed a 500 word account of the meeting toeacl of 14 large dailies for each morning andeveninrg of the first four days of the meeting.In all Science Service disseminated not lessthan 100 different aelounts based on the Bostonmeeting.

The association and the associated societiesmay well congratulate themselves on the grow-ing success of their publicity work during re-cent years, and especially on the unpreeedentedSuccess of this work at Boston. This aspectof outr work has an importance to men andwomnen of science and to the public as a wholethat must be regarded as equal to that of anyof the other lines of endeavor in which our or-ganization is engaged. It is planned to attemptstill further improvement in our publicity workat ftiture annual meetings.

The General Sessions

The seventy-sixth meeting was formallyopened on the evening of Tuesday, December26, in the main hall of Walker Memorial Build-ing. Addresses of welcom:ze were made by DeanH. P. Talhot, of the AMassachusetts Institute ofTechnology; by Dr. T. W. Richards, represent-ing President Lowell of Harvard University;,ly tlle mayor of Boston, Mr. James M. Curley,andl by the mayor of Cambridge, Mr. EdwardW. Quinn. These speakers were introduced byP1rofes-or S. C. Prescott, chairman of the localcommittee for the fourth Boston meeting. Fol-lowing the addresses of welcome, Dr. J. Play-fair MeMurrich, president of the association,took the chair. He introduced the retiring presi-deit, Dr. Eliakim H. Moore, who delivered hisaddress on "What is a number system" Byway of introduction Dr. Moore emphasized the,great progress made by Ameriean science duringthe last 74 years and by the association, whichwas organized as a result of the Cambridge

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meeting of the Americ-an Association of Geolo-gists and Naturalists lheld in September, 1847.Then, addressing hinmself as a iepresentative ofpure mathematics to the devotees of the naturalsciences, Dr. Moore raised the questioin of thedistinotion between mathematics and the naturalsciences. He pointed out that, although iiiathe-maties is simpler and more self-contained thanare the other sciences, it is not absolutely self-contained; in its development it constantlv re-ceives stimuli from non-mathematicall souIces.Though mathematics has imipressed itself pro-foundly on other sciences by its ideal of mathe-matical rigor, and though it is perhaps thetypical science, the fundamental science, yet itsho-ald not be separated from the natural sci-ences on the ground of method, as expressedin the view commonly held that mathematics isdeductive and the natural sciences are primarilyinductive. To show how this view is contra-dicted by the history of mathematics, the speak-er, in response to the question "What is a num-,her system?'" undertook to give an inpression-istic descriptive view of the historical develop-ment of the fundamental notion of number. Itwas emphasized that the separation of mathe-matics from the natural sciiences should be con-sidered as based on subject matter, not onmethod. Every branch of science, mathematicsincluded, has its continually interplaying in-ductive and deductive phases. Mathematics, assimpler, more self-contained and ea-rlier de-veiloped, hopes to be of vailuie to all sister sci-ences, not only by means of specific results,but also by the development of general methodscapable of application inimany fields of knowl-edge.The opening exercises were followed by a

general reception given by the Corporation ofthe Institute of Technology to the president analretiring president of the association. There wasa large attendance, -and the occasion was a veryenjoyable and profitable one. Refreshmentswere served in the galleries of the miiain hall.A joint session of the association and the

Society of Sigma Xi formed the second generalsession, held on Wednesday evening, December27. The address on this occasion was on "Thenation and its health" iby Dr. Livingston Far-rand, president of Cornell University. Dr. Far-rand reviewed the progress of public health

work- in this counltry and pointed out that since187X0 the average length of life has been in-crease(d by fifteen years, that marked reductionlhas occurred during this period in infant mor-tality and in mortality due to tuberculosis,tylphoid, smallpox and many other diseases.The efforts of health workers and organizationshave, however, been unable thus far to preventinereases in certain unconquered diseases, suchas cancer and diseases of the heart and kidneys.The most outstanding problem at present con-cerns the control of the degenerative diseasesof later life, an increase in mortality from thesebeing an inevitable consequence of improve-ments in the control of diseases of infancy andyouth. Dr. Farrand outlined the organizedmovements in this coiuntry for the further im-provement of public health and urged thatscieintific men support these movements inevery feasible way.At the third general session, held on Thursday

evening, an illustrated public lecture on "Les-sons from the Grand Canyon" was given by Dr.William Mforris Davis, emeritus professor ofgeology in Harvard University. ProfessorDavis emphasized the preiEction that the widen-in(r of the Colorado Canyon by erosion will notstop unitil all the neighboring highlands shallhave been laid low and the whole region tribu-tary to the river shall have been reduced to anearly featureless plain, sloping very gentlytoward the river mouth. Furthermore, the roekstructures forming the wall of the canyon areoutspoken witnesses ito the occurrence of fivellong antecedenit cycles of erosion before thepresent eyele began. Professor Davis pointedout, moreover, that the long periods of pasttime recorcled by these alterations of vast ero-sions andl depositions were themselves precededl)y a still longer period during which the com-plex rocks, seen in the basal portion of thegorge, were formed. The lecture was accom-panied by a series of wonderfully perfect lan-tern slides that brought out very clearly manyof the features that were discussed.On Friday afternoon occurred the first Sedg-

wick-Memorial LectuLre under the auspices ofthe department of biology and public health ofthe 'Massachusetts Institute of Technology.The Sedgwick lectureship has been estiablishedto commemorate the services of the late Pro-

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fe.lr Sedlgswick to the cause of biology andplublic healtlh. These lectures are to be g,ivenfrom yelar to N-ear by mleni of (listiinguiislewleiminenee in the several subjects comprehenidedIWithin the general scope of biology and publiclhealth, in order that there may be fittingly ex-pressed the deep and broad sympathy that ehar-aeterized the man whom the lectiiuship is de-signed to hoInor.

The lecture this year was delivered by Dr.EdImund B. Wilson, Da Costa professor ofzoology in Columbia University, who spoke on"The physical ha.sis of life." In this addlessillustrated by lantern slides, Dr. Wilson re-viewed some of the problems of protoplasni andltlhe cell from the standpoint of the modern(yrologist, embryologist and geneticist, compar-ing present views with those expressed by Hux-lev in his Edinbuirgh address fifty years ago.The speaker showedl how the problems of thecytologist mierge into those of the colloid chemistand the biochemist, an(d how from either poinitof view the celil appears as a complex, definitelyorganized -system. The cytologoist and the bio-chemist alike are dIriven to the assumption of adefinite organization in the apparently structure-less ground substance or hyaloplasin tlhtat fl'ormrsthle fundamental basis of the eell sstem-n. Itea-sons were given for the eonclusion that thissubstance consists of innumerable ultra-micro-scopic dispersed bodies of all orders of ma,gni-tude-manv of them self-perpetuating, andforming the foci for visi1ble formed elementsof the cell system. MI-any fact-s point to thle coni-clu. ion that botlh the visible and th-e invisiblecomponenits of the system:i arle segregated anddi tribiuted by defiilitelv ordtlered plroeesses ineel-ldivision and heredity. Life is. a pl)opeltyof the system as suieli, anid the problem of it.sphysical basis is inseparable flom the problemof the organization of the system; but wve stilllhave no more than a rtudimentary understand-ing of wlhat this organization is. There is, how-ev-er, no reason to despair of solving this prob-lem by imechanistic inethods-by obser vation anidexperiment; vitalistic conceptions leadl us merelyto abandon hope of progress.The fiftlh, and last, general session was lheldI

oni Friday eveniiing, December 229, this being aspecial session of Sectioni M (Engineering).The speaker on this occasion was MIr. CalvinW. Rice, secretary of the Ameierican Society of

Mlchanliiical Enigineers, Mho (lelivered a very in-

terestilug andl stimulating illustrated lectule onr;Engineering anid scientific developments in

South America." M1r. Rice dealt mnainly withlluis experiences in South American countriesdlurinig a recenit trip in whieh he attended theInternational Engineerinig Congress as theofficial delegate of many engineering societiesof the UTnited States and Canada. It was point-e(d ouit that South American civilization is inmany respects very exeellent indeed, and is- notnearlys alwavs to be regardel as inferior to ouirown. Displaying some South Ameriean news-papers s-ithl first pages altogether (levotedl toworldt1ews rather thian to the crime, storiesthat. are so eonspicuous in our (laily press, ieurtgedl that English-speaking Amierieans shouldfollowT South. American examnple and takeg,reater interest in woorld affairs. Turning to thestatuts of engineering in South America, Mr.Rice emphasized the point that engineers arethlere g,eneravlly regardled as, r-epresentinig thehiiglmesit tvpe of citizen. South American eni-gineers are Inow well organized, owing mainlyto tlhe activities of Mr. Rlice. Every SouthAmerican eountry now ha.s its engineering or-ganization, and these organizations are inter-related so as to constitute a world fraternitygiving, revice to all who are engaged in theengineelring profession. They cooperate witheng-ineering societies in the niorthern dlivisionof the continent.

THE COUNCIL ROLL AT BOSTON

The affairs of the aoscioealtioji are wholly inthe charge of the couneil whlicli consists of thepresident, the vice-l)pesideents, the treasurer, thesecretaries, the couinil representatives of theaffiliated societies andl academies and eightmembers elected bw the- council itself. The listof council members for the seventy-sixth meet-inoG is shown below, airanged according to thisclassificatioI. The atteIndance at the fourBoston sessions is sliowvn by the niumerals thatprecede memibers' niamties, the four niumeralscorresponding to the four sessiois, oIn Tuesday,Wedmnesday, Thlursday and(I Friday, respective-ly. Tliis, the inunmbers 2, 4 before a nameinidicate that the member so marked was pres-eit at tlle AWediiesday and(l Friday sessions ofthe eounicil.

Every couincil mnember receives an official

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THE PERMANENT SECRETARY'S REPORT ON THE BOSTON MEETING

DOI: 10.1126/science.57.1465.89 (1465), 89-96.57Science 

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