36 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LV, No. 1411 



who roomed at the university. For these there 

 was comparatively little need for going back 

 and forth between the universitj' grounds and 

 the down-town section of the city. The hos- 

 pitality of the University of Toronto and of 

 the Toronto friends of science was gi-eatly 

 appreciated. 



The meeting was formally opened on the 

 evening of Tuesday, December 27, in Convoca- 

 tion Hall, the University of Toronto, under 

 the able presidency of Dr. E. H. Moore, pro- 

 fessor of mathematics in the University of 

 Chicago, who was introduced by the retiring 

 president. Dr. L. O. Howard, chief of the 

 Bureau of Entomology of the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agi'iculture, who was permanent sec- 

 retary of the association for many years. Sir 

 Eobert Falconer, president of the university, 

 delivered an admirable address of welcome, 

 calling attention especially to the close and 

 friendly relations that have so long obtained 

 between Canada and the United States. This 

 was followed by the address of the retiring 

 president. Among many other interesting 

 things, Dr. Howard called attention to the fact 

 that the average age of the presidents of the 

 British and of the American Association since 

 1895 is about the same — 61 years and 11 

 months for the British and 61 years and 5 

 months for the American. The second part of 

 Dr. Howard's address dealt with the topic. 

 The War against the Insects. He considered 

 the unceasing warfare that must be waged by 

 mankind against the almost countless and 

 omnipresent forms of insect life which threaten 

 the very existence of the human race. Dr. 

 Howard's address has been printed in full in 

 Science, for December 30, 1921. The opening 

 sessions were followed by a reception in the 

 room behind Convocation Hall, where members 

 and their friends had opportunity to meet one 

 another and to examine the exhibits of scien- 

 tific apparatus and products brought together 

 under the auspices of the association for this 

 meeting. 



On Wednesday afternoon many members of 

 the association and their friends visited the 

 Royal Ontario Museum, on special invitation, 

 and enjoyed the opportunity of seeing the 

 exceptionally fine collections of the museum. 



The Wednesdaj' evening session, in Convo- 

 cation Hall, was of a twofold character. Pro- 

 fessor William Bateson, director of the John 

 Innes Horticultural Institution, Merton Park, 

 Surrey, England, who was present at Toronto 

 by joint invitation of the American Associa- 

 tion and the American Society of Zoologists, 

 delivered a stimulating address on "Evolu- 

 tionary Faith and Modern Doubts." He 

 clearly emphasized the point that students of 

 evolution harbor no doubts as to the fact of 

 evolution, but the exact mode of evolution 

 remains still an unsolved problem. Professor 

 Bateson's address will be printed in Science. 



At the close of this address the session was 

 transformed into a convocation of the Univer- 

 sity of Toronto, Sir Robert Falconer presid- 

 ing, at which the degree of Doctor of Science 

 honoris causa was conferred on Professor 

 Bateson, Retiring President Howard and Presi- 

 dent Moore. A reception followed the con- 

 vocation. 



Sir Adam Beck, chairman of the Hydro- 

 Electric Commission of Ontario, addressed a 

 general session, on Thursday afternoon, under 

 the auspices of Section M (Engineering). His 

 subject was "Hydro-Electrie Developments in 

 Ontario." After pointing out how these de- 

 velopments have been due to the men of pure 

 science, as well as to those of applied science — 

 the electric and the hydraulic engineers — Sir 

 Adam traced briefly the history of the hydro- 

 electric enterprises of Ontario, showing how 

 the commission is able to deliver electric power 

 from Niagara Falls in Windsor (254 miles 

 away) at a price only about one third as great 

 as that of steam-generated electricity in De- 

 troit, across the river. Electricity for the 

 common home is supplied at minimum cost. Sir 

 Adam showed a series of moving pictures, 

 illustrating the various hydro-electric projects 

 in Ontario. 



The Thursday evening conversazione in Hart 

 House was one of the greatest social functions 

 ever held in Toronto and was unique in the 

 history of the association. For three hours 

 the two thousand guests of the university and 

 the Royal Canadian Institute enjoyed the 

 entertainment facilities of the magnificent stu- 

 dents' social center in Queen's Park. The 



