The Portland daily press., 1873-06-30
The A. A. A. p.

Several spirited meetings of our citizens
were held, it is remembered, last February and
March, to make arrangements for receiving
the american Association for the Advance
ment of Science at its annual meeting here
next August So little has been heard of the
matter since then, that we might infer that the
arrangements, committees and all had been
swallowed up for the time being by the all-ab-
sorbing work of the Hospital Fair. Now that
that work is happily accomplished, the ques-
ton is beginning to be asked, "What is doing
about the American Association, &c?' We
hope the Committee of citizens entrusted with
the arrangements will soon give us some infor-
nation on that point. But another question
comes before this with very many, who, like
your correspondent, confess to never having
heard of the A. A. A. S. (what a pity the
name is SO long?) till the announcement of its
Odd Annual Meeting here. "What is the A. A.
A. S. aad what does its annual meeting do?"
The A. A. a S. must be very modest socie-
ty,as it is now apparently % years old, and num-
bers some nine hundred members mostly edu-
Gated men, and many of no little instruction in
science and literary culture; and yet so little
seems to be generally known of it, at least in
fact that its annual meetings have been held
mostly in the the large cities of the middle and
western States The chief object of the meet
ings, we understand and of the Association it
self, is the promotion of scientific research by
conference between all those engaged in it in
different parts of the country. The annual
meetings are held in August, during college
and school vacations and are usually attended
very fully, as many as 600 having been present
on some occasions. At these meetings. the
members in attendance are divided into two
sections one on Mathematics, Physics and
Chemistry and the other on Geology, Natural
History, &C., with sometimes a third section
on Ethnologv In each of these sections a
number of papers previously prepared and en-
tered, are read and discussed during the earlier
days of the meeting. These papers and dis
cussons are no doubt more interesting to the
members than to the general public. But the
evenings ere given to full meetings (not by Sec
tions) of more popular character and at these,
lectures with blackboard illustrations and ex-
periments are delivered by some Of the fore
most men in their special departments, such as
Prof. Agassiz, of Cambridge, Prof. Morse of
Salem, (now. we believe, of Harvard,) Prof
Hitchcock of Dartmouth, &c. At several of
the meetings department of Microscopic re-
search has been added, and we heard last win
ter that large marine aquarium was to form
a new feature i'll the Portland meeting.
After this weeks work indoors, the members
and their entertainers devote themselves to
another usefnl and perhaps as agreeable duty.
l. e. excursions to all places in the vicinity
which may afford profitable or pleasant oceu-
patton for the scientific mind-and body
What is to be done in this department this
year has not TRANSFERRED as yet, but from the
committee of Our citizens who have it in
charge, and from the extraordinary facilities
the vicinity of our city affords for explorations
by land and sea, we presume there will be "a
good time generally" in the second week of
the meeting. If the proposed meeting is at all
fully attended, it must be as interesting and
important matter as anything which can en-
much in answer to our queries about the soci-
ETY. itself, we should be glad to know what the
citizens and Local Committee appointed by
'hem are doing to get ready for it. Q.