May 38, 1901.] 
but the development of his system of 
rapidly determining the amount of butter 
fat in milk has practically revolutionized 
the dairy industry. It saved the system 
of factory dairying from destruction by giv- 
ing a method for the equitable division of 
moneys earned, and its rapid extension into 
all dairy countries of the world has con- 
tributed much to the renown of American 
science in other parts of the earth. 
The recognition of Dr. Babcock’s ser- 
vices by the State of Wisconsin is not con- 
fined to such narrow geographical limits. 
Although not an exhibitor, last year he 
was awarded the Grand Prix d’Honneur at 
the Paris Exposition. Recently the dairy- 
men of New Zealand have sent him a 
beautiful testimonial in the shape of an 
elegantly bound hand-painted album of 
New Zealand scenery. 
Dr. Babcock’s fame as an inventor rests 
largely upon his milk test, but to men of 
science, who are familiar with dairy and 
agricultural investigations, his many dis- 
coveries in these fields are regarded as even 
more brilliant and of more value to science 
than the invention for which he is now 
honored. 
SPRING MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF THE 
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE 
ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 
THE spring meeting of the Council was 
held in the Assembly Hall of the Cosmos 
Club on the afternoon of April 17, 1901. 
There was a larger attendance of members 
than is usual at the spring meeting. 
The permanent secretary presented a re- 
port upon the operations of his office since 
the midwinter meeting of the Council, 
including with this a report of the com- 
mittee appointed at the midwinter meeting 
and empowered to act upon the applications 
for membership received in the interim 
between the midwinter and spring meet- 
ings. The report of the committee was 
SCIENCE. 
705 
very encouraging. It seems that by means 
of letters signed by the president and the 
permanent secretary, and addressed to 
teachers of science in the universities and 
collegiate institutions of the country, a 
large number of new members has been 
added to the rolls of the Association. Fur- 
ther, local committees have been formed at 
several hundred points in the United States, 
and empowered by the president and per- 
manent secretary to make an effort to in- 
-erease the number of members in their 
several localities. As a result of this work 
540 new members have been elected since 
last Christmas, a number of these being 
very prominent men of science, who, al- 
though formerly members of the Associa- 
tion, had for one reason or another allowed 
the membership to lapse. 
The general condition of the Association 
was reported to be admirable. In point of 
number of members the high-water mark 
was reached in 1891 at the Washington 
meeting, when there were 2,054 members 
on the rolls of the Association. At the 
present time the actual membership of the 
Association paid up to January 1, 1901, is 
in the neighborhood of 2,350 while about 
100 additional members have been recently 
elected, but have not yet completed mem- 
bership. 
The permanent secretary further reported 
that the arrangement with the journal 
ScIENCE is apparently giving perfect satis- 
faction and is greatly helping the Associa- 
tion in many ways. 
The arrangements for the Denver meet- 
ing were reported to be progressing favor- 
ably. Local committees in Denver are 
organizing and a railroad rate of one fare 
plus two dollars west of Chicago has already 
been gained. No definite conclusions have 
been reached by the passenger associations 
east of Chicago, but it is expected that the de- 
tails will be settled and that the preliminary 
announcement concerning the meeting will 
