Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-15
SCIENTISTS IN SESSION,
Annual Meeting OF the National Acad-
emy-Papers Read Today.

The National Academy Of Sciences meets In
this city every year. Today its annual session
was opened in the hall Of the National Museum
building
In accordance with the custom OF the acsd-
envy the business meeting preceded the public
meeting. In the language OF the scientists 10
is called council, and in kind OF executive
session they discuss the claims OF applicants
for admission to a coveted place In the inner
circle of the scientists The election OF officers
Is held by the council. aud ali other matters
pertaining 10 the administration Of the academy
are discussed and decided. About u O'Clock
the council adjourns and the members come
down into the hall and take their seats before
the platform.
LADIES WHO TAKE An INTEREST IN SCIENCE.
Shortly before noon today, while the council
was still in session. there was only one person
in the hall, and that was lady who. by the way,
Is a constant attendant upon the sessions OF the
academy and has been for years When the
academy finally met there were several ladies
IN the room and they sat among
the grave and reverend scientists, and listened
sttentlyely 10 the unrayeling OF intricate
scientific problems by the successive speakers.
The audience. though small. was what migh be
termed highly select The members OF
the academy realize that their papers
are Of a technical character and while they are
deeply interested IN hearing what their emf
nent associates have 20 say they are not disap-
pointed when the general public does not be-
tray an equal interest. The program OF the
pubhc meetings consists entirely Of
READING PAPERs
The president, Prof. O. C. Marsh OF New
Haven, took the chair at II o'clock. The sec
rotary. Prof. Asaph Hall Of this city. occupied
the desk Immediately in front OF the plat
form. With few words relating 20 the ses-
sions OF the academy the president an
nounced that the first paper 70 be
presented was ''On the application OF interfer-
ence methods to astronomical measurements
by Prof. A A. Nicholson OF Worcester, Mass.
This paper was illustrated by diagrams drawn
on the board and on paper and was
an interesting presentation OF q method
OF measuring angles. Other papers
on the program we're follows;
hemiptera," ;. II. Scudder; Totally OF the
eclipse of 1859. December %" ID. =. Todd
presented by the home secretary; The bud
ding OF Salpa considered in relation 20 the
question of the Inheritance Of acquired char
acters," w. X. Brooks; Recent advances
toward a knowledge OF the fishes Of the great
oceanic depth" Il. Brown Goode and Iarleton
II. Bean; "A system of class fcation of variable
stars, s. c. Chandler; ION the spectrum OF
metals" II. A. Rowland; ''0n the cheapest
light s. p. Langley.
PROGRAM FOR THE OTHER MEErISas
At the meeting OF the council tomorrow six
members will be elected. On Thursday there
will be an election of new members Of the
academy. There are at present i've vacancies.
An evening session will be held on Wednesday.
when biographical sketches of members who
have died during the year will be read These
members are Prof. J. c. Dalton Of New York
city, Prof Elias Loomis OF Yale College aud
Prof. Leo LesquereuN of Columbus, Ohio.
MEMBERS PRESENT TODAY.
Among the members present today were the
following: Prof. Serene Watson. Cambridge,
Mass; Prof. 5. ii. Scudder. Cambridge. Mass;
Prof. II. A. Rowland, Baltimore; Prof Lewis
Boss. Albany, NY; Prof Seth c. Chandler,
Cambridge, Mass; Prot. Edward ID. Cope,
Philadelphia; Prof. Molcott Gibbs, Newport,
RI; Prof. Benjamin A. Gould, Cambridge.
Mass; Prof .. q. Marsh, New Haven, Conn;
Prot. Albert A. Nicholson. Worcester Mass
Prof. Edward ). Morse, Salem, Mass; Raphael
Pumpelly, Newport, RI
From this city: John S. Billings, US.A;
Clarence L. button, U.SA; Prof Theo. n.
Cali, Prof G. Brown Goode. Prof. Arnold
Hague, Prof. Asaph Han. U.S.N; Prof Geo.
W. Hill. Prof. Samuel l.. Langley, Gen. NJ G.
Meigs, U.SA.; PrOf. Thos. Z. MendenhAll,
Chas. A. SchOtt.