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changes and lack of recognized authority, are too great to let this con- 

 fused state of affairs continue indefinitely. The hackneyed theme of 

 nomenclature was therefore a prominent incentive for the establishment 

 of an international society, and in the arrangement of its first deliberate 

 program received large attention. 



The meeting at Vienna began on Sunday, June 11, 1005, with the 

 opening exercises of the exhibition held in connection with the congress. 

 This was a large exhibition and very attractive and interesting, both to 

 botanists and the general public. It contained extensive displays of 

 apparatus, books, charts, colored plates, special herbarium sets, dried and 

 living fungi and algae, pure cultures of various kinds illustrating par- 

 ticular kinds of investigations, historical matter, such as manuscripts, 

 portraits and the working outfit of early botanists, and numerous other 

 classes of objects, too many to be even enumerated. Each morning of 

 the following week a demonstration in some line of work made a valuable 

 feature in itself. Probably no single botanical display has ever equalled 

 this one in the variety and value of its objects or in sustained interest. 



The formal opening of the congress took place on Monday morning in 

 the great hall of the university with much ceremony and pomp. In the 

 afternoon the nomenclature section of the congress was organized in the 

 lecture room at the botanical garden. Every morning and afternoon 

 during the remainder of the week the congress listened to scientific papers 

 by eminent scholars of Europe and America, and every afternoon for five 

 days the nomenclature section met promptly and worked late in a most 

 methodical, businesslike manner, trying to solve some of its problems. 



The social events of the week were a notable part of the congress. 

 They opened with a reception on Sunday evening; and every evening 

 following had receptions, parties at the opera or in the park or at the 

 Rathskeller in bewildering profusion. Many short excursions to places 

 of scientific interest were also arranged for the latter part of some of 

 the afternoons. The visiting ladies, presumably not deeply engrossed 

 by the scientific side of the congress, were taken out for drives and to 

 visit art galleries, etc.. in the forenoon, attended teas and listened to 

 music in the afternoon, and joined the men in the evening. Among the 

 social features must be classed the long excursions arranged by the 

 congress, a number preceding, and others following the week of the 

 sessions, each occupying from a few days to a month or more. 



