The Portland daily press., 1873-08-27

GENERAL SESSION.
In general session the following officers were
elected for the ensuing year: DR.. Leconte,
Philadelphia, President; Prof. G. G. Lyman of
New Haven, Vice President; DIR. A. P. Ham
lin of Bangor, Gen. Secretary; W. S. Vaux, of
Philadelphia, Treasurer. An auditing commit
tee was appointed
Prof. Hitchcock spoke of an excursion to the
White Mountains.
Votes of thanks, accompanied by compliment
tary remarks TO the retiring officers were pass
ed.
Thanks were rendered to Mr. C. B. Fuller,
the curator of the Natural History Collection;
the superintendent of the coast survey, the
commander of the U. S. vessel "Bache;' to the
railroads centerLg at Dubuque, Iowa (omltted
at last session.
DR.. Walker, of New Orleans, introduced
resolution condeming the abolition of the dead
head" policy when applied to scientific and
medical associations. Other people must pay.
After little debate the resolution was very
sensibly laid on the table. A vote of thanks to
reporters was passed.
Votes of thanks were passed to the various
railroad and steamboat companies which have
extended courtesics to the Association; to Col
lecSor Washburn and Deputy Collector Smith of
the Custom House; to Capt Treadwell of the
revenue cutter McCulloch; to the local commit
tee; to the city government; to Gen. Chamber
lain, and to the ladies of Portland
The following new members were elected:
Benz. Kingsbury jr., Lewis B. Smith, Henry A
Nicely, q. W. Hayes, Portland; VIM. T. Davis
Plymouth, George d. Wildes, New York; L. A.
Beardsley, q. S. N; W. n. Gould, Portland;
Miss Euncs E. Gibbs, Dunluth; L. B. Schwartz
Boston; e. A. Fuller, Joseph P. Thompson,
Portland.
The Presdel of the Association, Prof Low
ering. closed the session with few eloquent
and fitting remarks.
The local secretary, in behalf of the Interna-
ito lal line of steamships, rendered an excursion
to 81. John, Friday.
BOTANY OF PORTLAND.
Prof James Hyatt gave some contrasts be-
tween the Botany of Portland and New York.
He stated that the vicinity of the two were
quite similar in respect to herbs and wild flow
ers generally. He -howed that the beautiful
blue gentian of New York is replaced by the
soap gantian. The boundary between these is
between the two cities. The common bunch
berry of this vicinity is found at low elevation
but in New York it is higher up the mount
aims. The juniper of our region spreads over
the ground forming beautiful mat, and also
grows tree. The striped maple is never cul-
tivated elsewhere than the one here The COM
mon burdock is a favorte plant in the vicinity
OF Portland. In answer to a question he briefly
explained the difference between arbor vitae
and the juniper
THE CLAM BAKE.
AT 2.30 D. m. the members of the Association
and many ladies and gentlemen of Portland
took special train for Old Orchard Beach.
where a mammoth clam-bake awaited The
feast took place on the grounds of Messrs. Lane
and Cleaves, who generously gave the use of
them The clam-bake was a royal one, the
following being the constituents 70 bushels of
clans, 10 bushels of oysters, 125 dozen eggs,
1900 ears of corB 500 Holsters, barrels of sweet
potatoes. There was also served 100 gallons of
coffee. The occasion was enjoyed greatly by
all, especially by our Western visitors, some of
whom had never eaten the gritty bat fine-fa-
vored clam, nor seen the sanguinary complex
Toned lobster, nor toyed darned bit with
Oceans tawney name. The weather was de-
lightful, though quite COOL 1t is estimated
that two thousand people were present. AT
$50 the train returned in time for the session of
Section co.
SECTION 80"
Section 20" held meeting in the Senate
chamber last evening. Section 80" is a bur-
lesque section in which grave professors and
learned doctors unbend themselves and conde-
scend to be as absurd as common people. Some
of the wit last night was rather forced, though
it was excellent considering that the members
had been INDUCING in a clam bake. Prof. Hall
was chosen chairman aud Prof. Morse secre-
tary Then the fun began. Two mathemati-
cal problems were solved in manner that par
took of both the dead" and the screw The
chairman wilted at these demonstrations, and
with tears in his eyes resigned the chair Dr.
Morris was called to the vacant position, and
read a programme which he gravey assured
his hearers was passed by the standing commit
tee. DR.. Walker read a paper on Darwn's
missing link. He held that in the variation of
longitude as givin at different times the missing
link had been swept from the EARTH Prof.
Morse followed with paper on mistakes in
Identification, which was generally voted to be
a piece of juggery. Prof. White followed
with paper on an ancient shell-heap, SAID
shell heap being remnant of the cam-bake
Several suspicious looking bottles were drawn
from the heap. f. W. Clark gave very anus
ne imitation of animal languages. Prof
Morse thought that in vtuperation if we called
man an ass it wouldn't be great insult, for
an ass is a vertb rate; but if we called him
sponge it would be an insult indeed, as sponge
is in the lowest of orders. 1t would be pretty
bad to call him horned perissodoctyl Prof.
Brigham thought Michigan must be the seat of
the Garden of Eden, because people in that
State thought the water of their rivers Pisen,
and so confined themselves to whiskey Mr..
Grimes, who is capital roconteur told some
very amusing stories, which convulsed his au-
dience.
THE PERSONNEL.
The association traIsacts much business
and drives matters at rushing pace. The
amount of work it does is frightful to con-
template. Indeed the majority of its mem
bers are bard workers, though now and then
a dilettante scientist is found among them
The member who from his position attracts the
most attention is Prof. Joseph Lowering of
Cambridge, a tall, spare man, with full dark
beard, and dome-like head, who has the man
ner of head master in some uuruly school, and
the habit of peering at you over his spectacles
in way that makes you feel uncomfortable
A man of wide attachments and culture, and
unquestioned ability, student of unhaggng
industry, he commands respect by the weight
of his personal character as well as scientific at
tanments. For many years he was secretary
of the association, and by hard labor fairly won
the honorable position he now holds Prof Low
ering is the man SO noted in Harvard tradition
and song, to whom the unfeelDg waiter of the
Boston bean-shop metrcally remarked, Eve
don't gi"e bread with one fish-ball."
DR.. Leconte of Philadelphia, the chairman of
Section B. is Short stout man of most aggres-
sive aspect an aspect caused by his heavy over
hanging moustache, his full cheeks, pulled like a
trumpeter's, and his habit of glaring at his au-
dience as though he cherished the intention of
ordering dozen of them to immediate execu-
| ton, and was busily engaged in picking out the
| dozen. He is man of sound scientific attain
ments, and admirably qualified for the position
| of presiding officer.