Paul E. Howe 45 



Christmas day itself in traveling; and for a still larger number the 

 Holidays were seriously marred by the necessity of being away from 

 home for several days. The dissatisfaction caused by this interfer- 

 ence with the most intimate of our holidays is not the only reason 

 why the advisability of changing the meeting time should be seri- 

 ously considered. There are others, for example, the instability of 

 the weather, with its combination of rain, sleet, and snow, diiring 

 the December sessions, is a menace to the health not only of the 

 elderly but of all who are dependent for the time upon hotel ac- 

 commodations and the contents of a suitcase. 



To remedy this condition radically is difficult, for it would mean 

 a shifting of the meeting time to a more dement season. This, 

 however, is forbidden by constitutional provisions in three of the 

 societies, the time set being between Dec. 25 and Jan. lo.^ A con- 

 stitutional amendment of this clause is by no means a hopeless 

 undertaking, and the venture has already been made by the Biochem. 

 Soc. The negative result scored in this society must not, however, 

 be taken as a condemnation of the proposed change, but must be 

 ascribed to the especially great difficulty of fulfilling the require- 

 ments for a change in its Constitution. The amendment proposed 

 by the Biochemists seems a model which all the societies would do 

 well to adopt; it is as follows: 



" The annual meeting shall be held at a time and place chosen by 

 the Council in consultation with the Exec. Commit. of the Fed. of 

 Amer. Societies for Exp. Biology." 



Palliative treatment of the Christmas-meeting evil has already 

 been instituted. The secretary of the Fed. was instructed, at the 

 last meeting of the Exec. Commit., to arrange that the scientific ses- 

 sions begin on such a date that Christmas day would be spared to a 

 majority of the members. 



Dinners. While all societies appreciate the hospitality of the 

 university authorities who house the scientific sessions of the Fed., 

 it is perhaps doubtful whether the labors of the Local Commit. are 

 appraised at their füll worth by the members who enjoy the results 



2 The Physiol. Soc. meets, according to the Constitution, between Dec. 25 

 and Jan. i ; the Biochem. Soc. between Dec. 25 and Jan. 10; the Pharmacol. Soc. 

 between Dec. 25 and Jan. i. The Pathol. Soc, however, states in its Constitution 

 that it shall meet at the same time and place as the other societies in the Fed. 



