360 EDITORIAL 
with the fortunate conditions of academic appointments and 
opportunities, or with the adverse or even hostile conditions 
under which much good science has been developed. The move- 
ment therefore to connect the meetings of the Sigma Xi with 
those of the Association seems incongruous. 
As set forth in another article in the same number of Sczence, 
some fifteen special scientific societies have already become cor- 
related with the Associationand have much increased the complex- 
ity of the proceedings. This movement seems to bean inevitable 
consequence of the differentiation of scientific work, and is scarcely 
less than necessary to the continued success of the Associa- 
tion, but it has already brought some inevitable conflict of inter- 
ests and not a little congestion of programs and appointments. 
Between these and the increased number of social functions, it 
_has already come to pass that there is little time left for that 
personal conference and that informal sociability whose basis is 
‘‘shop talk,’’ which formed so large a factor in the attractiveness 
of the earlier meetings of the Association. If now in addition 
to these laudable complications, the attention of a considerable 
number of the members of the Association is to be diverted in the 
interest of an academic honor society and a precedent established 
for the meeting of other societies whose basis is not strictly con- 
genial to that of the Association, it is not clear where the limit 
of congestion will be found. 
Between the lines of the article referred to, the imagination 
is tempted to read a hint of a desire for that rank and dominance 
in the Association which the members of Sigma Xi attained in 
university circles, and it is not unnatural to anticipate that the 
fraternity might unconsciously play a part in Association politics 
not unlike that for which Greek-letter societies are famous 
throughout the university world. To those who pride them- 
selves upon rank and band themselves together because of rank 
it is not unnatural that official expressions of rank should be 
sought through the unconscious influence of fraternization. 
It is not altogether foreign to the subject of this discussion 
to note the increasing encroachments of formal social functions 
