OBJECTS AND RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION. OBJECTS. The Society shall be called "The American Association for the Advancement of Science." The objects of the Association are, by periodical and migratory meetings, to promote intercourse between those who are cultivating science in different parts of the United States; to give a stronger and more general impulse, and a more systematic direction to scientific research in our country; and to procure for the labors of scientific men, increased facilities and a wider usefulness. RULES. MEMBERS. RULE 1. Those persons, whose names have already been enrolled in the published proceedings of the Association, and all those who have been invited to attend the meetings, shall be considered members on subscribing to these rules. RULE 2. Members of scientific societies, or learned bodies, having in view any of the objects of this Society, and publishing transactions, shall likewise be considered members on subscribing to these rules. RULE 3. The Collegiate Professors of Natural History, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Political Economy, and of the theoretical and applied Sciences generally; also Civil Engineers and Architects who have been employed in the construction or superintendence of public works, may become members on subscribing to these rules. RULE 4. Persons not embraced in the above provisions, may become members of the Association, upon nomination by the Standing Committee, and by a majority of the members present. RULE 5. OFFICERS. The Officers of the Association shall be a President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall be elected at each Annual Meeting, for the meeting of the ensuing year. MEETINGS. RULE 6. The Association shall meet annually, for one week or longer, the time and place of each meeting being determined by a vote of the Association at the previous meeting; and the arrangements for it shall be entrusted to the Officers and the Local Committee. SUBSCRIPTIONS. RULE 18. The amount of the Annual Subscription of each member of the Association shall be one dollar, which shall entitle him to a copy of the proceedings of each meeting. The members attending an Annual Meeting shall pay, on registering their names, an additional assessment of - dollars. These subscriptions to be received by the Treasurer or Secretary. ACCOUNTS. RULE 19. The Accounts of the Association shall be audited annually, by Auditors appointed at each meeting. ALTERATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION. RULE 20. No Article of this Constitution shall be altered or amended without the concurrence of three fourths of the members present, nor unless notice of the proposed amendment or alteration shall have been given at the preceding Annual Meeting. PROCEEDINGS. First Day, August 14, 1849. PURSUANT to a vote of the Association, the Second Annual Meeting was held in Harvard Hall, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, at 10 o'clock, August 14, 1849. The meeting was called to order by WILLIAM C. REDFIELD, Esq., Chairman of the preceding year, and the Secretary, Dr. JEFFRIES WYMAN, being absent, Prof. E. N. HORSFORD was requested to act as Secretary, pro tem. The list of OFFICERS elected for the present year was then read as follows: Prof. JOSEPH HENRY, President. STANDING COMMITTEE. WILLIAM C. REDFIELD, Esq. Prof. JEFFRIES WYMAN, Ex officio. Prof. WALTER R. JOHNSON. Prof. JOSEPH HENRY, Dr. ALFRED L. ELWYN, LOCAL COMMITTEE. JOHN A. LOWELL, Esq. Dr. A. A. GOULD, Prof. Louis AGASSIZ, of Cambridge. WILLIAM C. REDFIELD, Esq., at this stage of the meeting, called to the Chair Prof. JOSEPH HENRY, and as Dr. WYMAN was not present, Prof. E. N. HORSFORD was unanimously elected, by ballot, to act as Secretary of the meeting. The Chairman nominated Dr. R. W. GIBBES and Dr. B. A. GOULD, Jr., Assistant Secretaries. Agreeably to the Seventh Rule of the constitution, the following gentlemen were elected upon the Standing Committee: Prof. A. D. BACHE, Prof. LOUIS AGASSIZ, Prof. BENJAMIN PEIRCE, Prof. ASA GRAY, Prof. JAMES HALL, Prof. BENJAMIN SILLIMAN, Jr. The organization of the Association having been effected, Prof. HENRY offered the following remarks: The primary object of this Association is the advancement of Science, or the promotion of the discovery of new truths. We are not assembled to exhibit our knowledge of other men's thoughts, but to present to each other for consideration and friendly discussion new truths, the results of original investigation; to inform each other of what we have done during the past year, and to ask assistance, advice, and coöperation; to elicit by intercourse and the collision of mind, new suggestions, to be proved or disproved during the next year. It is to be presumed, therefore, that the time of the Association will not in any case be occupied with mere popular expositions of well-known subjects. Much of the value of these meetings is derived from the personal conversation of the members; and it is therefore desirable that the daily sessions should not be too much protracted. On this account, those who present memoirs, as well as those who join in the discussions, should study brevity. The first paper was then read, by Dr. GOULD, the author not being present, as follows: AURORA BOREALIS. BY PROFESSOR SECCHI. To Professor Henry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute. SIR: -I saw a few days ago, in the newspapers, that you are engaged in collecting observations on the Aurora Borealis, to fix, if it be possible, the laws of this interesting phenomenon so little understood. When I was at Stonyhurst, in England, near Preston, about 70 miles N. E. from Liverpool, last October, I witnessed a display of this phenomenon, of extraordinary beauty, and remarked some circumstances connected with it, such as are not commonly noticed. I think you will not be displeased if I trouble you with an account of them. My attention was engaged there, not only in consequence of the magnificence of the meteor, but also on account of my eagerness to witness it, never before having been fortunate enough to see any of remarkable beauty. In the evening of October 17, 1848, at 6 o'clock, I was called out to see the Aurora, which grew already complete, as far as it appears commonly. Towards the north was an obscure circular segment, surrounded by a luminous ring about 10° or 12° wide, composed of luminous rays or beams perpendicular to the circumference of the circle. The top of the dark segment was about 40° high; at the points N. E. and N. W. there were two large luminous masses about 20° wide and 30° high, of a brilliant red purple color, striped with white and yellow beams; the most splendid of them was at N. E. Until now the effect was by no means extraordinary; when about past 7 o'clock, another luminous mass appeared in the middle of the dark segment, and illuminated a large band of it from the horizon to the top of the arc in the neighborhood of the magnetic meridian. At the same time also a vermicular motion appeared all through the meteor, and scattered masses, detached from the ark, formed almost a beginning of another arc, but they very soon became curled into several irregular shapes. The southern part of the sky appeared extraordinarily dark, perhaps by contrast. At half-past seven, several thin clouds appeared on the sky where the Aurora was shining, the arc began to grow faint, and after changing its form, almost vanished. I retired therefore into the house, thinking that all was over; but after an hour the clouds again appeared luminous towards the north, then disappeared, and the Aurora became quite wonderful. The dark segment was gradually shining, as if its matter had been set on fire; the two luminous masses situated at the N. E. and N. W. were greatly enlarged, grew higher, and united with that which was in the middle of the segment, a more vivid purple color remaining yet at their former place. Large masses of light, in the shape of immense waves and beams, shot forth from the arc, and lateral masses arose rapidly, passed the zenith to meet together and compose the crown. Before the crown was formed, several luminous waves appeared on the southern hemisphere, at an altitude of about 45°, rising gradually to meet with those coming from the northern side to form the crown. This fact which |