194 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIX. No. 474. 



generally be secured for almost any gathering 

 of more than fifty or a hundred persons, but 

 in spite of this a trip from Boston or 

 Savannah to Denver or San Francisco implies 

 an expenditure in both money and time vehich 

 is prohibitive to many. The plan advocated 

 by the editor of Science, that each afiiliated 

 society shall send delegates to the annual 

 meetings of the national association, is much 

 to be commended and well worth trying, but 

 its availability depends much upon the loca- 

 tion of each delegate's home with regard to 

 the place of meeting. The tendency, toward 

 the formation of separate societies irrespective 

 of the American Scientific Association seems 

 now to be well developed. Two of them met 

 recently in New Orleans where they launched 

 a third into existence. Eecommendations 

 may be made at will by those who wish to 

 maintain unity, but the ordinary processes of 

 evolution will continue without regard to in- 

 dividual preferences. 



The present writer gives his hearty approval 

 to the views advocated by the editor of Science, 

 which have been well thought out. The policy 

 of adaptation to the miiltitude inaugurated at 

 the Saratoga meeting has had nearly a quarter 

 of a century in which to become fijxed. What- 

 ever change may yet be developed, it will not 

 be to the conditions of 1850. No plan elab- 

 orated by any single individual will be carried 

 out in full, but the views of many, if given 

 full expression, will be helpful in preparation 

 for the Philadelphia meeting. 



W. Le Conte Stevens. 



Washington and Lee Univeesity, 

 January 16, 1904. 



The Editor of Science invites comments 

 upon the article ' Convocation Week ' pub- 

 lished in that periodical on January 8. With 

 much of the article I am in full accord, but 

 with one matter I do not agree. 



As the article in question says, there was 

 considerable friction at the Washington meet- 

 ing a year ago. Under the circumstances 

 this seemed unavoidable. The rooms avail- 

 able were few in number and, naturally, the 

 association and its sections were first pro- 

 vided for. The result was that at least two 



of the independent societies — the Zoologists 

 and the Anatomists — were forced to put up 

 with inadequate and inconvenient quarters. 

 It would seem probable that similar disagree- 

 able and irritating conditions will recur when- 

 ever so many organizations meet together. 

 The only escape seems to be either the merging 

 of the separate societies in the sections of the 

 association or in their meeting apart, as sev- 

 eral did this year. 



The greatest objection to such a merger is 

 the enormous extent of our country. The 

 association is national in character and its 

 meetings have been held at points as remote 

 from each other as Portland and Denver, 

 Charleston and Minneapolis. It is the policy 

 of the association to meet one year in the 

 east, the next in the west — ^Denver, Washing- 

 ton, St. Louis, Philadelphia and New Orleans. 

 With this no one can find fault. A national 

 society should supply all parts of our country. 

 When, however, the matter of amalgamation 

 is considered, it is seen that many of the 

 members, most of whom are living on mod- 

 erate salaries, must either take long journeys 

 or forego the meetings on alternate years. ■ 



Another objection is the difference in char- 

 acter between the association and the inde- 

 pendent societies. The latter are strictly 

 professional organizations, aiming at the ad- 

 vancement of science. As such they limit 

 their membership, thus ensuring audiences, 

 the majority of whom are able fully to com- 

 prehend any paper presented. The associa- 

 tion admits all who apply for membership, and 

 its function, in spite of its name, has largely 

 become that of the popularization and dif- 

 fusion of knowledge. There is nothing more 

 difiicult than the presentation of the results 

 of research to an audience which can not ap- 

 preciate the points made. Again, with the 

 smaller societies under the present conditions 

 there is too little time for discussion of the 

 papers presented; united with the sections of 

 the association the program would be so long 

 that this valuable feature would be entirely 

 lost. 



In view of these facts it seems best to the 

 writer that the societies should retain their 

 independence and should hold their naeetings 



