November 19, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



719 



perature rooms and other features of a modern 

 laboratory of natural science. The entire 

 space of the building will be divided almost 

 equally between the departments of botany 

 and zoology. Commodious offices and a num- 

 ber of special rooms for the use and comfort 

 of the occupants will be provided. The build- 

 ing will be 235 feet long and 75 feet wide in 

 its widest part. The center of the building 

 facing south wiU open upon the space reserved 

 for greenhouses. The building itself is to be 

 of brick, hard burnt, of a reddish brown color, 

 selected with a certain roughness and bloom 

 on the surface. The mortar joints will be wide 

 and raked. The trimming will be of Bedford 

 stone. This material will also form the facing 

 of the building as high as the base of the 

 windows on the first floor. 



The building itself is to be of the steel wall- 

 bearing type and will be thoroughly fireproof. 

 In this type of structure the masonry of the 

 walls carries part of the weight of the frame 

 while the frame itself supports the floors, par- 

 titions and roof. 



In harmony with all the new buildings of 

 the university the building will be of classic 

 architecture. It will depend for its beauty on 

 graceful lines and symmetry rather than on 

 expensive ornamentation. In harmony with 

 Dr. Bessey's character we shall try to make 

 the building just as permanent as the building 

 skill of the times through the use of brick, 

 steel and concrete will permit. It ought to 

 stand for 500 years at least. Further, in keep- 

 ing with Dr. Bessey's character it will be at- 

 tractive without ostentation, built for perma- 

 nence and usefulness rather than show. 



Aside from the sentiment connected with its 

 erection it will be a building much needed by 

 the university. Botany and zoology have never 

 had adequate quarters here. This will house 

 them in a way worthy of a great im.iversity. 

 While these departments will have consider- 

 ably more space than they have at present, we 

 are not building large enough to care for their 

 growth for many years to come. When the 

 number of students of botany becomes too 

 large for the new quarters, we can build a sepa- 

 rate building for zoology, leaving the entire 

 space of the Bessey building to botany. 



The building will cost approximately $200,- 

 000 when completed and finished. The uni- 

 versity considers itself fortunate in the fact 

 that the lowest bid was made by a firm which 

 has not only the reputation of doing excellent 

 work but of doing its work promptly. This 

 firm agrees to complete the general construc- 

 tion in 120 working days. Assuming, then, 

 that there is not too much cold and stormy 

 weather during the spring and summer follow- 

 ing, there should be no difiiculty in having the 

 building ready for use at the beginning of the 

 next school year. The ground is now ready so 

 that the excavation may begin at any time. 



For a few hundred dollars a beautiful memo- 

 rial tablet could be placed in the principal hall 

 of the new building. Some of the former stu- 

 dents of Dr. Bessey have attained wealth. 

 Would not some one of them like to volunteer 

 to place a memorial worthy of his beloved 

 teacher where the thousands of students that 

 will throng this building in the years to come 

 may look upon his features cast in enduring 

 bronze by some skilled worlonan after the clay 

 model of some great artist? The regents of 

 the university will be pleased to accept and 

 place in a suitable place such a tribute. 



S. Avery 



THE COLUMBUS MEETING OF THE AMERI- 

 CAN ASSOCIATION FOB THE AD- 

 VANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 



The sixty-eighth meeting of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, 

 and the fourteenth of the " Convocation 

 Week " meetings, will be held in Columbus, 

 Ohio, from December 27, 1915, to January 1, 

 1916. Hotel Chittenden will be the head- 

 quarters. 



The council will meet on Monday morning, 

 December 27, and each following morning. 



The opening general session of the associa- 

 tion will be held at 8 o'clock p.m. on Monday, 

 December 27, in the university chapel of uni- 

 versity hall. The meeting will be called to 

 order by the retiring president. Dr. Charles 

 William Eliot, who will introduce the presi- 

 dent of the meeting. Dr. William Wallace 

 Campbell. Addresses of welcome will be made 

 by President W. O. Thompson, of the Ohio 



