THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



333 



divided into two sections, one for the 

 exact sciences and one for natural his- 

 tory. In 1882 nine sections were or- 

 ganized, but it was not until 1892 that 

 botany was separated from zoology. At 

 present the sections no longer suffice, 

 and there must be either a further sub- 

 division and a more efficient organiza- 

 tion of the sections, or the American 

 Association must become an adminis- 

 trative body, that will arrange for the 

 simultaneous meetings of independent 

 societies and the union of these societies 

 in support of their common interests. 



The obvious advantages of meeting 

 together have now led nearly all the 

 national scientific societies to select 

 either the time of the American Asso- 

 ciation or Christmas week for joint 

 meetings. It is unfortunate that they 

 should be divided into two groups, and 

 it must be admitted that neither mid- 

 summer nor the Christmas holidays are 

 altogether suitable for the meetings. 

 The American Association has this year 

 made the experiment of selecting the 

 end of June, immediately after the close 

 of the college sessions, instead of a week 

 in August. This has some advantages, 

 but even at the beginning of the sum- 

 mer many men of science are either 

 abroad or are engaged in scientific 

 expeditions. The heat is apt to be ex- 

 cessive, interfering not only with the 

 meetings, but also requiring some self- 

 sacrifice on the part of scientific men 

 when they leave their comfortable sum- 

 mer homes to travel through heat and 

 dust to a hot and dusty city. Christmas 

 week, divided by Sunday, is too short 

 for a series of scientific meetings, espe- 

 cially for those who must travel from a 

 distance. This led to the organization 

 last winter of the Cordillerean Geologi- 

 cal Society, the Western Society of 

 Naturalists and the Western Philosoph- 

 ical Association. Local associations are, 

 of course, valuable, but they should not 

 interfere with one central meeting in 

 the course of the year. The plan has 

 been suggested of taking one week, 

 either immediately after the New Year 



or in the early spring, for a general 

 scientific gathering, which would in- 

 clude not only the exact and natural 

 sciences, but also philology, history, etc. 

 The plan would be to secure an 

 adjournment of exercises or leave of ab- 

 sence in the case of universities, col- 

 leges, museums, Government depart- 

 ments, etc., with the understanding that 

 it would be the duty of all those who 

 were released from their regular work 

 to attend the meetings. 



The American Association last met 

 in New York City in 1887, though there 

 was a meeting in Brooklyn in 1894. The 

 past thirteen and even the past six 

 years have witnessed an extraordinary 

 development in the educational and sci- 

 entific institutions of the city. Colum- 

 bia College and New York University 

 have developed into great universities, 

 each having found a new site and 

 erected upon it buildings which might 

 have been expected to come only as the 

 growth of a century. The American 

 Museum of Natural History has be- 

 come one of the great museums of the 

 world, millions of dollars having been 

 spent on buildings. A botanical garden 

 and a zoological park have been estab- 

 lished, which promise to rival those of 

 any of the European capitals. A well- 

 equipped aquarium has been opened un- 

 der the auspices of the city; the Metro- 

 politan Museum of Art has been en- 

 tirely rebuilt to accommodate its in- 

 creasing collections; a magnificent 

 building is in course of erection for the 

 Public Library to contain its great as- 

 semblage of books, which with its en- 

 dowment is largely the result of recent 

 years. While Boston and Philadelphia 

 have made great advances within the 

 last few years, and Washington has 

 become the chief scientific center of the 

 United States, it is especially note- 

 worthy that New York City has 

 enjoyed an educational and scientific 

 development commensurate with its ma- 

 terial resources. 



Jonas G. Clark, who ten years ago 

 established at Worcester a university 



