SEAL OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC. A seal for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific was adopted by the consenting votes of nine Directors as follows: Messrs. ALVORD, BURCKHALter, GRANT, HOLDEN, Molera, PIERSON, SCHAEberle, Soulé, ZIEL. The thanks of the Directors were voted to W. LEWIS FRASER, Esq., Art-Editor of the Century Magazine, for his kindness in superintending the designing of the seal (of which a cut is given in the present number of the Publications.) Resolved that for reasons sufficient to the Directors the annual dues of Professor HIGBIE be remitted until further orders. The report of the Committee on Life Membership Fund was accepted and the following resolution was adopted as recommended by the Committee: "Resolved that on and after January 1, 1891, all moneys received as life membership fees shall be kept as a separate fund and invested in such interest bearing security or savings bank as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors, and only the interest derived from the investment shall be available to defray the running expenses of the Society. Provided, however, that in cases of great exigency, the Board of Directors may, by the unanimous consent of the members thereof, devote the same or a portion thereof, to defray such running expenses, the amount so withdrawn to be repaid as soon as the financial condition of the Society will permit. 66 'Resolved that for the present the San Francisco Savings Union is designated as the bank in which such life membership fees shall be deposited by the Treasurer. The Committee was discharged. As required by the Regulations regarding the Comet medal, the following two members of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific were appointed to serve on the Comet-medal Committee for the year 1891: Mr. SCHAEBERLE, Mr. BURCKHALTER. The following Notice to Members was authorized to be printed in the Publications: NOTICE TO MEMBERS. Arrangements have been made by which members can be provided with note paper and envelopes, marked with the seal of the Society, at cost-price, for their correspondence. The stationery must be ordered through the Secretary of the Society in San Francisco and the order must be accompanied by a postal money order (or by United States postage stamps) sufficient to cover the cost, as below: - For a block of fifty sheets of note paper of good quality, sent by mail, twentyfive cents; for a block of fifty sheets of letter paper, sent by mail, forty cents; for a parcel of 25 envelopes to match the paper, sent by mail, twenty-five cents. The sending must be at the risk of the member. It was resolved that Library tickets issued to members for 1890 be recognized as Library tickets for 1891. The resignations of the following members were received and accepted: Messrs. CHARLES M. BAKEWELL, WM. IRELAND, J. W. STATEler. Their names should then be omitted from the list in Publ. A. S. P. No. 13. The meeting then adjourned. MINUTES OF THE MEETING of the ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE President HOLDEN being absent, Vice-President PIERSON presided. A list of presents was read by the Secretary, and the thanks of the Society voted to the givers. The Secretary read the names of members duly elected at the meeting of the Directors. It was announced that a seal had been adopted by the Society. On motion, the following Committees were appointed by the Chair, to report at the annual meeting, March 28, 1891: A committee of three-Messrs. F. R. ZIEL, J. H. JOHNSON, A. O. LEUSCHNER--to audit the accounts of the Treasurer. A committee of five-Messrs. Otto v. GELDERN, A. J. TREAT, W. A. DEWEY, WARREN B. EWER, W. H. LOWDEN-to nominate a Board of eleven Directors and a Publication Committee of three members and to prepare and print suitable ballots to be voted at the annual meeting. The committee was requested to print the ballots in the same form as at the last election-that is to say, so as to allow M.S. substitutions to be easily made for the names proposed by them. The new amendment to the By-Laws, relating to the organization of sections of the A. S. P., was then read, and the organization of the Chicago Section, of 24 members, was announced. The following papers were announced: a. The Carleton College Observatory, by the Director, Prof. W. W. PAYNE. b. The August Meteors, by W. H. S. MONCK, Dublin, Ireland. C. Corrections to WATSON'S Theoretical Astronomy, by W. W. CAMPBELL, Ann Arbor, Michigan. d. Notes on Dark Transits of Jupiter's Satellites, by JOHN TEBBUTT, Windsor, N. S. W. Mr. PIERSON read an account of M. JANSSEN's ascent of Mont Blanc (printed in the present number of the Publications), and Mr. KEELER gave an account of his recent spectroscopic observations of the Nebula of Orion, which give the motion of the nebula referred to the solar system, and at the same time the normal position of the principal line of nebular spectra. A discussion of the latter subject followed, in which many of the members took part. MINUTES OF A MEETING HELD NOVEMBER 20, 1890, FOR THE PURPOSE OF ORGANIZING A CHICAGO SECTION OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC. A meeting, for the purpose of organizing a Chicago Section of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, was held Thursday evening, November 20, 1890, at 4545 Drexel Boulevard, Chicago. GAYTON A. DOUGLASS was chosen Chairman and GEO. E. HALE Secretary pro tem. The Secretary gave an account of the formation and objects of the A. S. P., and also Professor HOLDEN'S advice in regard to meetings of the Chicago members. After some discussion, it was moved by Dr. EwELL, and duly seconded, that application for membership in the A. S. P. should be made on condition that a distinct "Chicago Section" be recognized by the parent body. This was put to vote, without debate, and carried. The question of place of meeting was raised by Mr. SMITH. A general discussion followed, in which the tower of the South Church was offered by Dr. WILLIAMS, and the Kenwood Observatory by the Secretary. The matter was left to the Executive Committee, to be appointed. The Chairman and Secretary pro tem were elected permanently to these offices, with power to appoint an Executive Committee, to consist of five members, including the Chairman and Secretary. It was proposed by Dr. EWELL, that the general subject of astronomy be divided into a number of departments, and that members be given the choice of subjects, in order that each may have a special field of work. This suggestion was well received, and left to the Executive Committee. The programme and time and place of the next meeting were also left to the Executive Committee. A discussion followed as to an exhibit of astronomical and spectroscopic photographs at the World's Columbian Exposition. It was considered very desirable that such an exhibit be secured, and that this Section take an active part in the matter. The meeting was then adjourned; after which the spectroscopic laboratories of the Kenwood Observatory were visited, at the invitation of the Secretary. The arc spectrum of iron and the reversal of the sodium lines were shown with the ROWLAND concave grating spectroscope. The following were appointed on the Executive Committee, to act with the Chairman and Secretary: R. W. PIKE, C. B. THWING and M. D. EWELl. The following applications for membership in the A. S. P. and in the Chicago Section have been received to date: RUTHVEN W. PIKE (life member), 166 La Salle St., Chicago. A. C. Behr, Bloomington, Ill. Professor C. S. Cook, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. FERD. ELLERMAN, 5729 Kimbark Ave., Chicago. Dr. H. W. ROGERS, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. G. W. HALE, 4545 Drexel Boulevard, Chicago. FRANCIS BRADLEY, Evanston, Ill. Dr. M. D. EWELL, 97 Clark St., Chicago. Dr. H. H. BELFIELD, Chicago Manual Training School, Chicago. F. S. OSBORN, Montauk Block, Chicago. C. O. BORING (care J. V. FARWELL & Co.), Chicago. D. H. BURNHAM, "Rookery" Building, Chicago. J. W. ROOT, "Rookery" Building, Chicago.* Professor G. W. HOUGH, Dearborn Observatory, Evanston, Ill. G. W. RITCHEY, 5916 Wright St., Englewood, Ill. J. R. STEWART, 1135 Dunning St., Chicago. GEORGE E. HALE, Kenwood Physical Observatory, Chicago. * Died January 15, 1891. GEORGE E. HALE, Secretary. |