118 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Apr., 



ters the above-quoted howl. Had the ms. been forthcoming, the 

 Secretary would have published it, and the world would inno- 

 cently have supposed that Dr. Curtis delivered it. This reminds 

 us of the way newspaper reporters write up events that do not 

 occur. Is it quite scientific? 



But how came this Dr. Curtis, of whom we confess never to 

 have heard, to be President of this great American institution ? 

 What has he done in the realm of microscopy that entitled him 

 to this distinction, for be it remembered that the fact of being 

 President of the American Society has heretofore insured the 

 incumbent an honorable election to membership in the Royal 

 Microscopical Society of England. The only answer we can find 

 is on page 9 of the brochure before us, as follows : 



"The report of the Executive Committee with respect to the 

 prizes which the Society was enabled to offer by the liberality 

 of its president, Dr. Lester A. Curtis was then read." 



These prizes, amounting to $125, were provided for in August, 

 1893, at which time Dr. Curtis was elected President. It is 

 fair to say that but for the prize papers of Wiegand, Kingsbury, 

 Krauss, and Miss Claypole, one of which constitutes more than 

 two-thirds of this brochure, there would not have been a reason- 

 able excuse for continuing the "Proceedings" this year. But is 

 it, in view of the outcome, too much, to guess that the little 

 coterie of members at Madison, in 1893, unwittingly sold out 

 the Presidency for $125 ? Will the Royal Microscopical Society 

 sell a membership for that consideration and not get the money 

 either ? We shall be interested to see the outcome. If any of 

 the gentlemen who at Madison elected Dr. Curtis and accepted 

 his prize-money wish to explain this transaction, these columes 

 will be at their service in which to do so. We would not for a 

 moment do him any injustice. 



But about these prizes. Wiegand, Kingsbury and Miss Clay- 

 pole, if we mistake not, were all students at Ithaca. Kingsbury 

 says that his prize-paper did double duty, having been "presen- 

 ted to the Faculty of Cornell University for the degree of M. S. 

 in June, 1894," in the preparation of which he says he was assis- 

 ted by "the suggestions and advice of Prof. Gage throughout 

 this investigation." The University gave him M. S. and the 

 society gave him $50 of Dr. Curtis' contribution. The three 

 Ithaca students got $110 out of the $125. There were but three 



