244 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIX, No. 1262 



Several prominent authorities on variable stars 

 were elected to honorary memtoershiip, including 

 Miss H. S. Leavitt, of the Harvard Observatory; 

 Brofessor S. A. Mitchell, director of the Leander 

 McOormick Observatory; Professor H. C. Wilson, 

 director of the GoodseU Observatory, and editor 

 of Popular Astronomy ; Mr. C. L. Brook, director 

 of the Variable Star Section of the British Astro- 

 nomical Association, England, and Professor A. 

 Bemporard, director of the Observatory, Catania, 

 Italy. Mr. C. E. Barnes, who has been most gen- 

 erous in acting as publisher for the association, 

 was elected as the second Patron. 



A pleasant feature of the meeting was the pres- 

 enitation to Professor E. C. Pickering of a solid 

 gold paper knife, set with appropriate jewels, as a 

 token of the esteem in which he is held by the asso- 

 ciation. President J). B. Pickering most graciously 

 presented the token, in substantially the follow- 

 ing language: 



Members and friends of the A. A. V. S. 0.: It is 

 my very happy task, at this time, to act for you in 

 the performance of a 'duty of true friendship and 

 appreciation. 



At the time our association was formed, seven 

 years ago, its course was decided and its fate de- 

 termined largely by the influence of one man. 

 Whatever he may have hoped to win for science 

 from our efforts at that time or since, can not be 

 commensurate with the sacrifices that he has made 

 in our behalf. 



He has assisted us in everything that we have 

 undertaken and has carefully watched our progress 

 along every step of the way. And the manner of 

 his so doing has been that of the big brother. 

 . For us he has laid aside the cloak of the physi- 

 cist and master of research, and has given us his 

 hand in fellowship, has taken us into his home, 

 seated us at his board, and been one of us. 



Professor Pickering, our attempt to convey to 

 you at this time some feeling of apprecia/tion for 

 the big thing you have done for us, seems very 

 weak and inadequate: but we want you to know 

 that with the little token we are shortly to ask 

 you to accept, there goes to you from each and 

 every one of us the warmest feeling of friendship 

 and goodwill. 



There is a precious stone called the alexandrite, 

 that has the rare property of appearing green in 

 the light of day and red under artificial light, and 

 well symbolizes the colors of the stars at their evo- 

 lutionary extremes. There is also another, called 

 the star-sapphire, wherein nature, in a manner 

 with which we are unfamiliar, has set a star 



against a background of azure. Both of these 

 gems are mounted in this little remembrance. 



The inscription reads: "Edward Charles Pick- 

 ering, Director of the Harvard College Observa- 

 tory, from the American Association of Variable 

 Star Observers, November 23, 1918," and the re- 

 verse reads: "This token of appreciation is tend- 

 ered to him who has done so much to promote the 

 study of variable stars: guiding the amateur with 

 untiring helpfulness along paths of understanding 

 into fields of usefulness and pleasure. ' ' 



Will you accept it, sir, and with it the gratitude 

 we have tried to express. 



Professor Pickering, though taken completely by 

 surprise, responded in his usual characteristic 

 manner and expressed his great appreciation to the 

 association for such an expression of friendship 

 and gratitude, and added that he had felt all 

 along, that he and science were the ones that were 

 being helped by the untiring efforts of the mem- 

 bers of this association. 



Mr. D. B. Pickering's address as retiring presi- 

 dent, was a model of clearness and explicitness and 

 dealt thoroughly with the aims and purposes of the 

 association, what it had accomplished in the past 

 seven years, and what it hoped to do in the future. 



The climax of the meeting came at the sumptu- 

 ous dinner held in the evening, at a private house 

 near the observatory, where in the absence of the 

 newly elected president, Mr. Campbell, acted as 

 presiding ofScer and toastmaster. The after-din- 

 ner speeches, both of an astronomical and non- 

 aStronomical nature, were greatly enjoyed by all. 



The newly elected officers are: President, H. C. 

 Bancroft, Jr., of West CoUingwood, N. J.; Vice- 

 president, 0. Y. McAteer, of Pittsburgh, Pa.; 

 Council Members for two years, Miss A. J. Cannon, 

 of Harvard Observatory, and Professor C. E. Fur- 

 ness, of Vassar College Observatory. W. T. Olcott 

 and A. B. Burbeck continue to serve as secretary 

 and treasurer, respectively, and Professor A. S. 

 Toung and J. J. Crane have another year to serve 

 on the council. 



For the members who could remain in Cam- 

 bridge until the next day, a visit was made to the 

 Students' Astronomical Observatory at Harvard 

 College, where Dr. Stetson most graciously amd 

 thoroughly explained the elaborate devices that are 

 being used there to teach astronomy to the rising 

 generation. 



The spring meeting will be held on the first Sat- 

 urday in May, 1919, in East Orange, N. J., at the 

 invitation of Mr. D. B. Pickering. 



L. C. 



