FOREIGN ASSOCIATES OF NATIONAL SOCIETIES 379 



society had displayed great skill and discernment in its selection. In 

 fact, the Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg elected four of these 

 men before their talents were discovered by any other foreign society 

 on this list, and two of them before they were elected by the home 

 society. If one society was always the last to elect we should suspect 

 that it awaited the judgment of others, in which case its choice would 

 have little value as an independent opinion. It might, however, be 

 due to other causes, as, for instance, a higher standard, if its total 

 membership was less. A society which elected many members who 

 were never elected into any other would appear to show poor judgment, 

 although other conditions might enter in particular cases. Thus, 

 every member must, for a time belong to one society only. The failure 

 to detect marked differences by these tests confirms the view that the 

 selections are made independently and fairly. 



An examination of Table II. reveals some interesting cases. One 

 member was elected into the six foreign societies in five years, while 

 with another this period extended over thirty years. One was elected 

 into all seven societies before he was fifty years old. One has been 

 elected into the six foreign societies for eight years, and has not yet 

 been elected into the home society. One was elected into three foreign 

 societies before he was forty. * Three persons have been elected into 

 a foreign society after attaining the age of eighty, and ten before they 

 were forty. About two thirds were elected into foreign societies be- 

 tween the ages of forty-five and sixty-five. On the average, these 

 men were elected into their first foreign society about eight years after 

 election into the home society. The successive elections then took place 

 at average intervals of three years and a half. The oldest member is 

 ninety-one, the youngest forty-six. Many other conclusions regard- 

 ing age might be drawn, such as its relation to country, science or 

 society, but no striking differences have been noticed. 



The most important conclusions to be drawn by inhabitants of the 

 United States, are that the representation per million inhabitants is 

 less than a fifth that of the principal countries of Europe. We have 

 no representative in mathematics or medicine, while in astronomy we 

 have three out of ten members. The explanation is not hard to find. 

 While immense sums are spent on higher education in this country, 

 the endowment for advanced research is comparatively small. As- 

 tronomy is almost the only science having institutions devoted to 

 research, and in which a large part of the time and energy is not 

 expended in teaching. Of the six American members, five have 

 occupied positions in which no teaching was required, but their entire 

 time was supposed to be devoted to original investigation. 



