314 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



science will not and cannot come together at midsummer. If a week 

 can be set aside at the beginning of the year, it is probable that the 

 scientific character and weight of the meetings will be greatly for- 

 warded. The importance of obtaining a convocation week in mid- 

 winter has been emphasized in a recent editorial ('Science/ April 26, 

 1901), and we are now able to report that, of the fourteen universities 

 composing the Association of American Universities, all but two 

 either already have no exercises at the time or have altered their 

 calendars in the direction of setting aside the week in which New 

 Year's Day falls for the meetings of scientific and learned societies. It 

 might, however, be well to have, say once in three years, a summer 

 meeting in which the social and excursion elements should be 

 emphasized. It must be remembered that the National Educational 

 Association can bring together 10,000 members in this way. Or per- 

 haps, it will be found with experience that the winter meeting is so 

 advantageous that the summer meetings can be omitted altogether. 

 Meanwhile there might be suggested a special meeting at Chicago next 

 year at Christmas time in conjunction with the Naturalists and 

 affiliated societies, the usual meeting at Pittsburg in midsummer, and 

 a meeting of unusual importance at Washington at the end of the year. 



