DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



66 1 



and extend social courtesies, if they 

 were given in return the mental food 

 in digestible form, with which the As- 

 sociation is so amply supplied. 



It remains with the management to 

 decide whether attendance shall be re- 

 stricted to the few actively engaged in 

 scientific pursuits, or whether it shall 

 include the 1,200 and more who would 

 be glad to avail themselves of the bene- 

 fits of a programme suited to average 

 scholarship and intellectual capacity. 



There is no better medium for dis- 

 cussion of the above views than through 

 the widely read pages of The Popular 

 Science Monthly. 



M. E. D. Trowbridge. 

 Detroit, Mich, 



[The questions brought up by our 

 correspondent have been carefully con- 

 sidered by all those who are interested 

 in the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science. When the 

 Association was founded fifty years ago 

 there was no division into sections; the 

 papers and discussions were intelligible 

 and interesting to all members. At 

 that time there were but few members, 

 the scientific life of the country was 

 small, and it was a privilege for a city 

 to entertain the Association. But fifty 

 years have brought changes in many 

 directions. Specialization in science 

 has become essential for its further 

 progress, and it has been necessary to 

 divide the Association into numerous 

 sections and to found special societies. 

 Hospitality can now only be provided 

 at great expense, and Eastern cities no 

 longer regard it as a privilege to enter- 

 tain the numerous societies that gather 

 within their hotels. The newspapers 

 do not regard a meeting of the Associa- 

 tion as an important event and will not 

 devote space to it. 



The Association must do the best it 

 can to adapt itself to existing condi- 

 tions. The recent meeting in New York 

 had perhaps the largest attendance of 

 scientific men of any in the history of 



the Association with the exception of 

 the anniversary meeting two years ago, 

 but New York City, especially in the 

 month of June, is not a desirable place 

 for social functions. It is not reason- 

 able for a member interested in science 

 as an amateur to expect to purchase for 

 three dollars a week's entertainment. 

 His dues secure reduced railway and 

 hotel rates; he can meet his friends and 

 become acquainted with scientific men; 

 he can always find on the programme 

 papers that are of interest; he receives 

 the annual volume of 'Proceedings' and 

 the weekly journal, 'Science,' the cost 

 of which is five dollars per year. But 

 apart from these direct returns, he is 

 surely repaid for membership by know- 

 ing that he is one of those who are 

 united for the advancement of science in 

 America. — Editor, Popular Science 

 Monthly.] 



THE COLOR RED. 



To the Editor of The Popular 

 Science Monthly: Mr. Havelock El- 

 lis, in your August number, in 'The 

 Psychology of Red,' says, 'A great 

 many different colors are symbolical of 

 mourning .... but so far as I 

 am aware, red never.' The following 

 may possibly be of interest in this con- 

 nection : 



"Our English Pliny, Bartholomew 

 Glantville, who says after Isydorus, 

 'Reed clothes ben layed upon deed men 

 in remembrance of theyr hardynes and 

 boldnes, whyle they were in theyr 

 bloudde.' On which his commentator, 

 Batman, remarks: "It appereth in the 

 time of the Saxons that the manner 

 over their dead was a red cloath, as we 

 now use black. The red of valiauncie, 

 and that was over kings, lords, knights 

 and valyaunt souldiers; white over 

 cleargie men, in token of their profes- 

 sion and honest life, and over virgins 

 and matrons.'" — (Dr. Furness's Vario- 

 rum. Merchant of Venice, p. 56.) 



Chas. E. Dana. 



University of Pennsylvania. 



