606 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLII. No. 108T 



TBE COLUMBUS MEETING OF TEE AMEE- 

 ICAN ASSOCIATION FOB THE AD- 

 VANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 

 The arrangements for tlie Columbus meet- 

 ing of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science are taking definite shape 

 and a large attendance and an interesting 

 program are certain. 



The following affiliated societies have already- 

 indicated their intention of meeting at Colum- 

 bus at the same time: 

 American Society of Naturalists. 

 American Society of Zoologists. 

 American Physical Society. 

 Botanical Society of America. 

 Botanists of the Central States. 

 American Phytopathologieal Society. 

 Entomological Society of America. 

 American Association of Economic Entomologists. 

 American Mathematical Society (Chicago Branch). 

 American Nature-Study Society. 

 American Microscopical Society. 

 Society for Horticultural Science. 

 Association of Official Seed Analysts of America. 

 American Federation of Teachers of the Mathe- 

 matical and the Natural Sciences. 

 The School Garden Association of America. 



Some slight conflict, owing to the fact that 

 the committee, designated to take charge of 

 the Second Pan-American Scientific Congress 

 to be held in Washington, without consulta- 

 tion with the officers of the American Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science or, appar- 

 ently, with other well-posted scientific men in 

 this country, changed the date of the Congress 

 from October, 1915, to December 27, 1915- 

 January 8, 1916, thus occupying a large part 

 of the time already set aside for the meetings 

 of many national scientific organizations, 

 nearly all of which are to meet elsewhere than 

 in Washington. 



The group of economic and historical soci- 

 eties have met this unfortunate situation by 

 changing their plans to meet in Washington. 

 Their sessions are to be held during the first 

 week of the Congress. The American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science and its 

 affiliated societies, however, owing to the fact 

 that the Congress is to be devoted very largely 

 to economic subjects, have seen no reason to 



alter their plans and will carry forward th« 

 Columbus meeting which every indication. 

 shows will be eminently successful. 



The authorities of the congress, however, 

 are anxious to secure some degree of coopera- 

 tion from the American Association for tha 

 Advancement of Science and its affiliated 

 societies and have extended an invitation to 

 these organizations to come to Washington at 

 the conclusion of the Columbus meeting and 

 attend the meetings of the second week of tha 

 congress (January 3-8, 1916). It has also been 

 suggested by the assistant secretary general'of 

 the congress (Dr. G. L. Swiggett), that the 

 association might to advantage hold an ad- 

 journed session of one day in Washington to 

 indicate its desire to assist in welcoming the 

 delegates from other American countries to the 

 United States. 



Whether this invitation will be accepted is 

 a matter which can not well be decided until 

 the Columbus meeting. That such a session 

 of the association should be called an adjourned 

 session from Columbus would, in a way, be 

 discrediting the Columbus hosts of the asso- 

 ciation, since the coming meeting should be 

 definitely known as the Columbus meeting and 

 not as the Columbus-Washington meeting. It 

 might, however, be arranged so that the Amer- 

 ican Association could hold a special session 

 at Washington on some one of the dates indi- 

 cated and which need not in any way detract 

 from the success of the Columbus meeting or 

 from the fact that the convocation week meet- 

 ing of 1915-1916 shall go down to history ai 

 the Columbus meeting. 



L. 0. Howard, 

 Permanent Secretary 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 

 The spring meeting of the American Chem- 

 ical Society for 1916 will be held in TJrbana, 

 Illinois, April 18 to 21, inclusive. At that 

 time the new chemical laboratory of the Uni- 

 versity of niinois, said to be the largest in the 

 world, will be dedicated. 



Mr. E. W. Swanton has been elected presi- 

 dent of the British Mycological Society. 



