128 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
since the second semester closes about the middle of June; but he 
can look over the ground, get acquainted and prepare generally for the 
following autumn. The student who does not have friends in Paris 
should go to the Bureau des renseignements at the Sorbonne, where he 
will find some one who can speak English and give information as to 
pensions, the various institutions of higher education, etc. Another 
helpful bureau is the Comité de patronage des étudiants étrangers. 
There are a large number of students’ associations, but probably the 
only one which it will be found worth while to join is the Association 
générale des étudiants de Paris. This association has recently moved 
into a handsome stone building used for over three centuries as lecture 
hall for the faculty of medicine. Here may be found reading room, 
library, fencing room, lounge rooms, etc. Members receive great 
reductions on tickets for nearly all the theatres and in purchasing books 
and other supplies. There are numerous social gatherings which pro- 
fessors and alumni occasionally join. 
Paris is apt to be uncomfortably warm during the summer months, 
and unless the student is proficient in both speaking and writing the 
French language, he will probably wish to seek out more enjoyable 
quarters to carry on his studies. These may be found at such uni- 
versity towns as Grenoble or Geneva, both beautifully situated, but 
especially the latter, with endless possibilities in Alpine excursion. In 
each, excellent summer courses, at small cost, are given specially for 
foreigners. That at Grenoble lasts from July Ist to October 31st. 
It would be well, however, to return to Paris a little before this latter 
date, so as to settle the question of lodging somewhat before the be- 
ginning of the scholastic year. 
To get the most out of a sojourn in Paris, the American naturally 
wishes, if possible, to get into a private family where he may enter, 
to the full, into the spirit of the life and language of the people. This 
is, however, a matter of much greater difficulty than in Germany, 
where many are so ready to welcome the stranger to hearth and home. 
In the case of the French the foyer is much more exclusive, and unless 
mutual friends have intervened, a seat there is almost an impossibility. 
The next best thing is to be in a small pension, where good French, 
but no English, is spoken. It is a matter of ever-increasing difficulty 
to find such a place. The charges near the Sorbonne vary from 150 
to 250 francs per month; for 180 francs one may be excellently served. 
A third method, not less expensive, is to rent a furnished room and dine 
at a restaurant. A room may be procured for 30 to 65 francs per month. 
But restaurant cooking and poor French frequently heard are un- 
desirable features of this plan. It sometimes happens, however, that 
meals alone (that is lunch and dinner) may be arranged for at a good 
