education, secondary education, higher education, industrial education, art education, music education, and a national council of education. The council of education, consisting of sixty members elected from the association, has been the author of many important documents and reports. There are in nearly every state and in many counties associations of teachers devoted to the improvement of the schools and the professional interest of the members. Meetings are usually held once a year, and are largely attended. There are also numerous local societies, which perform important scientific, professional and social functions. It cannot be expected that the general level of the papers and discussions before these societies should be much above the average of those who attend the sessions. But teaching is gradually becoming a profession co-ordinate with medicine, law and theology, and the numerous educational societies. are contributing toward this end. The physicians of the United States have numerous societies, which in part perform the functions of trades unions for the profession, and in part contribute to the advancement of medical science and practice. The American medical association holds an annual migratory meeting, and publishes an important monthly journal. The Association of American physicians and the American academy of medicine are also national associations covering the whole field of medicine. There are further national societies for different departments - neurology, ophthalmology, otology, gynæcology, dermatology, pediatry, climatology, etc. Then there are societies for different sections of the country, and nearly every state of the union has a special medical society holding an annual meeting. There are also numerous local societies which meet in sections and at frequent intervals. The Academy of medicine in New York city, and the College of physicians of Philadelphia, for example, own fine buildings and administer large libraries. In addition to an American bar association there are several state and local societies of lawyers. These sometimes maintain a library, but their objects are strictly professional, so that they can scarcely be regarded as scientific societies even in the widest interpretation of the term. This holds also for the congresses and assemblies of different religious denominations. They are chiefly occupied with executive work and matters of discipline and but rarely discuss subjects that contribute to the advancement or diffusion of knowledge. On the other hand the societies of technical science, while to a certain extent concerned with the professional interests of their members, are chiefly devoted to research. The societies are large in membership and in influence, representing one of the most important scientific developments of the present time and of the United States. The American chemical society was the outgrowth of a meeting held in 1874 to celebrate the centennial of the discovery of oxygen. The society was organized in 1876, and now holds two general meetings annually, one during the Christmas holidays and one in the summer in connection with the American association. It maintains a monthly journal, and has recently established in New York city a club house in which its library is deposited. Local sections of the society, holding frequent meetings throughout the year, have been established in New York, Washington, Chicago, Rhode Island, Cincinnati, the Lehigh Valley, New Orleans, Nebraska, North Carolina and Columbus. The American society of civil engineers is the oldest of the societies of applied science, having been organized and incorporated in 1852. It has headquarters in New York city and publishes monthly Transactions. The American institute of mining engineers was organized in 1871, the American society of mechanical engineers in 1880, and the American institute of electrical engineers in 1884. Each of these societies has a large membership, publishes transactions, and exercises an important influence on the development of applied science. In addition to these national societies there are in the United States numerous other technological associations. The Tekniker Verein of Washington is the headquarters of the National association of German-American technologists with nine branches. We have an Engineering association of the south, a Technical society of the Pacific coast, a Western society of engineers, and many local societies. All the leading sciences now have national organizations. The American mathematical society, established as the New York mathematical society in 1888, publishes a monthly Bulletin and Quarterly transactions, holds regular meetings in New York and in Chicago, and a migrating meeting in the summer. A conference of astronomers and astrophysicists was held on the occasion of the dedication of the Yerkes observatory in 1897, and has since been made an annual meeting. A physical society is now in course of organization. An American metrological society was established in 1873 and has exerted much influence toward the adoption of the metric system and the definition of units of The American chemical society has already been measure. described. The Geological society of America was organized in 1888. It holds two annual meetings and publishes a Bulletin. The American geographical society of New York and the National geographic society of Washington, though from one point of view local, are national in their influence. Each publishes a journal, and does much to arouse popular interest in geographical exploration. The New York society has a new building in course of erection. The American society of naturalists, organized in 1883, largely with a view to the discussion of educational questions, holds winter meetings during the Christmas holidays, which serve as a center for several societies devoted to the natural sciences. These are the Association of American anatomists, the Society for plant morphology and physiology, the American morphological society, the American physiological society, the American psychological association, the American folklore society, and section H, anthro pology, of the American association for the advancement of science. Some two hundred papers are annually presented before these affiliated societies representing a high level of scientific research. The American ornithologists' union, organized in 1883, always has a valuable program for its annual meetings, and publishes a quarterly journal -The Auk. The American microscopical society (1878) and the American entomological society (1859) complete the list of national scientific societies, but there are in addition to these a large number more local in character. The Astronomical society of the Pacific, organized in 1889, issues a bi-monthly Publication. There are in San Francisco two geographical societies and Philadelphia has an important geographical society. Local clubs, especially of botany, ornithology and microscopy are widely scattered over the country. They are often somewhat amateur in character, but useful in many ways. In history and economics there are several national societies of importance. The American historical association, organized in 1884, issues reports and papers. Its principal office is at Washington, but it holds migratory meetings. The American economical association (1885), and the American academy of political and social science (1889), are both active associations issuing important publications. There are further to be mentioned the American statistical association and the American social science association. The Massachusetts historical society, organized in 1791 and incorporated in 1794, is one of the oldest historical societies in the world. The New York historical society was organized in 1804, and the Historical society of Pennsylvania in 1824. Historical societies, chiefly for the collection of material relating to a single state, county or locality, are very numerous. There are also many genealogical, memorial and patriotic societies which scarcely fall within the limits. of this review. The Archæological institute of America has sent out various expeditions and published the results. The American antiquarian society, organized in 1812 in Worcester, Mass., has had a long and useful career. There is an American numismatic and archæological society and several local archæological and antiquarian societies. In philology the American philological association (1869), the American oriental society (1842), the American dialect society (1889), the American folklore society (1888), the Modern language association of America (1883), and the Spelling reform association (1876), are the most important societies. In this connection may also be mentioned the American library association, although its objects are largely professional. We have an American Dante society, and numerous local Shakespeare clubs and literary societies. In the fine arts there are important associations, such as the National academy of design, in New York, and the Pennsylvania academy of the fine arts in Philadelphia, which hold annual exhibitions. A National league of mineral painters was organized in 1892. JOURNALS The dispersion of American students over a great area and the lack of a single center of culture, such as foreign nations possess in London, Paris and Berlin, gives especial importance to journals as a means of intercommunication. The differentiation of science in recent years has lead to the rapid multiplication of special journals, but at the same time increases the need of journals that will keep the sciences in touch with each other. The American journal of science was the earliest of our scientific journals, having been established at Yale university by the elder Silliman in 1818. The Journal of the Franklin institute began as the American mechanic's magazine in 1825; other technical journals were established and various scientific journals came and went, but the American journal of science for fifty years sufficed for the publication of the scientific work of the country. The American naturalist was founded by Professors Packard, Morse, Hyatt and Putnam in 1867. 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