102 
POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS. 
[Jui.Y, 1S9O. 
named specimens that had been prepared by Mr. 
Bayley, of Elizabeth, was read by Miss Lilian 
Faulks. 
The Secretary of the Assembly is Miss 
Susan Gilbert, of Plainfield. Applications 
for joining the State society shonld be ad- 
dressed to her, as also proposals to unite in 
the seaside assembly to be held at Long 
Branch in July. 
A CHAPTER AT THE ANTIPODES. 
AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE OF USE. 
Many Chapters and members of the Agas- 
siz Association are interested in archeology. 
Many more will become interested as they 
learn more of the scope of the field included 
by that science, and reflect upon the impor- 
tance and magnitude of the problems to 
which it holds the kc}'. 
Believing that many of oin" members and 
friends would be glad of the opportunity 
Our readers will notice in the list of new "^ contributing toward the grand project 
of uncoverincj one of the 
Chapters which follows. No. 271, of Port , o' uncovermg one 01 ine most miportant 
Chalmers, New Zealand. This Chapter is ' monuments of antiquity, and thus revealing 
composed of twenty earnest members, led by , to science a new chapter in the world's his- 
Professor Chilton, and we extend to it most tory, a letter was written to Professor T. D. 
cordial greeting. It will be a pleasant thing Seymour, of the Arch.-cological Institute 
for our American Chapters to write letters of America, asking for such an account 
of welcome to this new member of our Asso- ! of the project as would make its importance 
ciation ; and, besides the pleasure of making 
friends on the other side of the world, there 
will be an excellent opportunity of increasing 
our knowledge of New Zealand, and of ob- 
taining, by exchange, specimens of the strange 
forms of life — both animal and vegetable — 
that flourish there. By the way, all new 
Chapters like to receive letters of welcome — 
even if they are not thousands of miles away. 
CHAPTER ADDRESSES, NEW AND 
REVISED. 
No. of 
Members 
... ... 8 
No. Name. 
243 East Greenwich, R. r. A 
Miss Bertha Pahiier. 
246 Austin, 111. (CooktJo.) A 
Kreii L. Charles. 
69 Plttsrlehl, Mhbs. K 
Mia-* Mary L. Wellington. 
25.1 Cla cniont, N. H. A 
John W. Dow, lJox,13.>. 
201 Harrishurj^, I'eiin. ii 
It II. Li wis, Hox 119. {Harris Chapttr.) 
134 I)e IVre, Wis. A 
.Jos. (jj. l.awton. 
271 Port Chalmers, New Zcalanil. A 
Charles Chillon, B Se , District High School. 
902 Nancy, Frimcc. A 
Fr'eileric de Metz Nolilal, 27 Hue <le la Kavinclle. 
MASSACHUSETTS STATE ASSEM- 
BLY. 
On May 30 the programme already an- 
nounced in this journal was successfully 
carried out at Fitchburg. Owing to the 
faithfid work of President Hall and the 
Executive Committee, a larger attendance 
was had than ever belbre, and the interest 
was proportionately greater. At the busi- 
ness meeting following the addresses and 
reports, President Hall was unanimously re- 
elected. It was voted that the Assembly 
make an exhibit at the World's Fair in 1892, 
and a committee was appointed to confer 
with all Massachusetts Chapters on the sub- 
ject, and secure their co-operation. It was 
voted, "That the Massachusetts Assembly 
heartily endorses the two journals. Popular 
Science News and Santa Claus, and 
recommends every Chapter in Massachu.setts 
to appoint a committee to make a thorough 
local canvass to secure subscriptions to the 
same." In the afternoon, delightful excur- 
sions were made to Wachusett and neighbor- 
ing hills. 
clear to all our members. In reply the fol 
lowing letter was received : 
Arcii.kological Institute of America. 
School of Classical Studies at Athens. 
New Haven, Conn., M.ay 14, 1890. 
My Dear Sir : The case of the Archaeological 
Institute in connection with Delphi is, in brief, this : 
Since excavations have been conducted systemati- 
cally on Greek soil, Delphi and Olympia — the two 
most important seats of Hellenic worship in the 
classical period, and the homes of the festivals to 
which Greelcs from all lands came — have been re- 
garded as the most interesting and important sites, 
with the single exception of Athens, where the 
modern city .precludes extensive digging. The 
Greeks are too much pressed for money for the 
the improvement of their country and the daily 
expenses of their kingdom to undertake excava- 
tions at Delplii, apparently; and they believe, 
further, that such work by foreigners calls attention 
to their land. 
The Germans, about ten years ago, undertook 
excavations at Olympia, and are thoroughly well 
pleased with the result. The expense was borne by 
the German government. The French began some 
excavations at Delphi twenty jears ago, and have 
claimed it as their ground. But more than a year 
ago, the Gallo-Hellenic treaty, which contained the 
concession of Delphi as one of its articles, failed 
of ratification by the Fiench parliament, since the 
wine-growers of France were jealous of the privi- 
leges offered to the wines of Greece. 
Then the privilege of excavating at Delphi was 
open to America; and tliis concession is at present 
reserved for our Arch;eological Institute, on condi- 
tion that we shall buy from the owners, the land on 
which the modern village of Delphi (Kastri) stands. 
This land will cost about $80,000. Of this sum, 
something more than $30,000 has been raised near 
Boston. Smaller sums have been contributed in 
other places. No vigorous effort has yet been made 
in New York and the West. Professor Charles 
Eliot Norton, who has been the President and soul 
of the Institute for eleven years, is confident that the 
entire sum will be raised and the opportunity gained. 
When Delphi is once secured, the funds for con- 
ducting the work of excavations will be furnished 
largely by the Institute, which pledges about $5,000 
a year for this purpose. This does not seem a large 
amount for a great enterprise, but the conditions 
of the slopes and soil there are such that not a very 
large number of men can be employed to advantage, 
and labor is cheap in Greece. The work of excava- 
tion would be conducted by the American School 
of Classical Studies at Athens, which has already 
discovered two deme-sites in Attica, has uncovered 
the ruins of the theatre at Thoricus, and part of the 
great theatre at Sicyon, besides extensive exploia- 
tions at PlatJea. The greatest exploit of the school 
in this line was the excavation two 3'ears ago at 
Icaria, the original home and birtliplace of Greek 
tragedy. 
Delphi will be excavated. Science has nothing to 
fear on that account. But it would be a great glory 
for America if it would undertake the work. No 
other similar site remains. Who has not heard 
of the Oracle at Delphi? Who would not like to 
aid in this enterprise? 
Very truly yours, 
T. D. Seymour. 
All who wish to have a share in taking the 
earth ofl" from this inestimable treasiue, mav 
send their contributions to the President 
of the A. A., before September i, and they 
will be promptly forwarded to the Archa-o- 
logical Institute. Many hands make light 
work. One cent will pay for the removal 
of at least one shovelful of earth. Let each 
one give according to his inclination and his 
means. 
REPORTS FROM ACTIVE CHAPTERS. 
48, Fitchburg, Mass., [A]. — Our society was 
thoroughly reorganized on May 17, 1SS9, and has 
since then received many additions. At present we 
have thirty-one members, who are all interested 
workers. Two are at work on a catalogue of Fitch- 
burgbirds; fourare revising the " Flora of Fitchburg 
and Vicinity," which we published some years ago : 
and six have united to make a geological map of this 
vicinity, including all the towns that border upon 
Fitchburg. We have received much encouragement 
from Professor W. O. Crosby, of the Boston Society 
of Natural History, and also from Professor N. S. 
Shaler. We hold regular monthly business meet- 
ings, at which methods of work are discussed ; and 
we have special meetings once a week for actual 
work, when we dissect some animal, study some 
mineral or insect, work on our herbarium, etc. 
The Chapter purchased some bird-skins which Pro- 
fessor Beal had collected in Iowa, and two of the 
members have mounted them. We have had one 
hundred and twenty-five cases made to hold our 
herbarium — one family in a case. We have received 
one hundred and eighteen birds' eggs from across 
the Atlantic — the gift of a Fitchburg boy living in 
London. In October, 1SS9, Captain Robert Davis, 
realizing that he had not long to live, presented to 
us his cases and. cabinets of insects, shells, minerals, 
and ferns. These additions, together with our pre- 
vious collections, required more room than the 
Knights of Honor — in whose hall we held our 
meetings — could well spare, and the School Com- 
mittee kindly granted us the free use of the High 
School building for our museem and our meetings. 
— E. Adams Hartwell, Cor. Sec. 
52, Mt. Union, O., [A]. — In June, 1S89, our 
Chapter was reorganized, with two of the old 
members and two new ones. Since then we ha\c 
increased to twenty. In September we lost one 
of our best members by the death of Mr. H. S. 
Clark, the founder of the Chapter. Our work ten(U 
chiefly in the direction of ornithology and botanv. 
We have a nice room of our own, and have starteil 
collections in several lines. We have a full meetins; 
every Wednesday evening, the exercises consistiTii; 
of debates, essays, and the practical study of speci- 
mens. — V. N. Marsh, Sec. • 
