Page:History of the Royal Astronomical Society (1923).djvu/260

 228 HISTORY OF THE [1880-1920 would be to enable workers in one branch of geophysics to obtain a general knowledge of the other branches. These meetings have been continued five or six times during the session, the subjects discussed being magnetism, constitution of the atmosphere, aurora, geodesy, seismology, the earth's interior, etc. At the meeting of the Council in 1919 March a Memorandum was read from the Geophysical Committee of the British Association with reference to the R.A.S. taking over the arrangement of these meetings. They are to be considered additional meetings under Bye-Laws, section VIII A,* and are to be in charge of a Geophysical Committee appointed by the Council. The following Societies were invited to associate themselves with the meetings by making them known to their members and by each proposing one representative for appointment to the Geo- physical Committee : R. Geographical, R. Meteorological, Geo- logical, Physical Societies, and the British Astronomical Association. The Royal Astronomical Society now from time to time issues supplementary Monthly Notices on geophysical subjects at the discretion of the Council. Though not directly connected with the Society, we cannot close this short account of its work during the last forty years without greeting with pleasure the birth of a new international organisation for the advancement of Astronomy, in which our Society is officially represented. As the various international scientific associations had become inoperative during the war, conferences of delegates of the leading Academies of the nations at war with the Central Powers resolved in 1918 October and November that new organisations should be established, which representatives of neutral nations might eventually be invited to join. A further conference of delegates was held at Brussels in 1919 July, when the " International Research Council " was constituted. The formation of international unions for Astronomy and Geophysics, decided on at the previous conferences, was completed, and statutes for them were agreed to. In each of the countries participating, a National Committee for the pro- motion of astronomical work and for nominating delegates to the meetings of the astronomical union is formed, and on the one representing this country the R.A.S. appoints six members. The work of the " Union Astronomique Internationale " is to be carried on through various Committees, each having its own Chairman. Under the statutes, the Chairman and members of these Committees are elected by the General Assembly of Dele- gates, but each Committee has power to add to its number and to draw up its own regulations, subject to approval by the General
 * Addition to the bye-laws passed 1918 June 14 (M.N., 78, 544).