December 2, 1904.1 



SCIENCE. 



741 



of time devoted to public discussions and lec- 

 tures on themes of general scientific interest 

 and to social intercourse. Any attempt to 

 force societies into summer months is fore- 

 doomed to failure." 



Chas. E. Bessey (11 Mch., '04, No. 480, pp. 



429-431). 



Have one complaint about convocation week. 

 It should come a week later or the state meet- 

 ings a week earlier; they now interfere. Am 

 inclined to accept Dr. Cattell's suggestion of 

 a big winter meeting alternating with smaller 

 and less formal summer meetings. Necessary 

 to fix on places of meeting several years in 

 advance and decide on general features of pro- 

 grams a year or so before the meetings. 



Geo. F. Atkinson (11 Mch., '04, No. 480, pp. 



431-433). 



Believes association is drifting from policy 

 of keeping in close touch with general public 

 and young students. Due to two causes or to 

 one of the two : (1) To the change from sum- 

 mer to winter meetings; (2) to the tendency 

 to discontinue former policy of extensive work 

 and to desire to federate the different societies 

 of the country. * * * Time of Meeting : 

 Difficult unless Professor Nichols's suggestion 

 is adopted and we hold both a summer and a 

 winter meeting. Summer in the north and 

 winter meeting in the south. 



W. J. Holland (11 Mch., '04, No. 480, pp. 



433-434). 



Idea of convocation week theoretically ad- 

 mirable but selection of time unfortunate. 

 Christmas joys and festivals antedate the 

 American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. Time of meeting should be in mid- 

 summer vacation. 



W. F. Ganong (18 Mch., '04, No. 481, pp. 463- 



464). 



Local sectional meetings should be held un- 

 der auspices of American Society of Natural- 

 ists. A second group of societies desirable 

 for (1) Vigorous but friendly rivalry will be 

 distinctly advantageous and much preferable 

 to a society monopoly. (2) American Associa- 

 tion unlimited as to qualifications of member- 

 ship and must always have and care for a large 

 semi-scientific or popular element. That 



division of American Naturalists Society in 

 which the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science meets should join with 

 it in its meeting. Advocates strong national 

 society for each of sciences, these to be divided 

 into sections holding simultaneous meetings 

 in geographical centers along with other scien- 

 tific bodies affiliated with the American So- 

 ciety of Naturalists. 



Arthur H. Ford (18 Mch., '04, No. 481, pp. 



464r^65). 



Presents following plan to increase useful- 

 ness and influence: Organization: In addi- 

 tion to the present organization, establish a 

 branch in each community where there are a 

 number of members of the association. Meet- 

 ings: In addition to the general meeting have 

 each section meet once a year and each branch 

 once a month, or oftener if profitable. Publi- 

 cations : Publish Science as at present, and in 

 addition publish all papers presented at sec- 

 tion meetings and the more important of those 

 at branch meetings in the ' Transactions ' ; 

 issuing a set of transactions for each section. 



Best time for holding general meeting, at 

 which social element should be emphasized, 

 appears to be in early summer. 



William North Eice (1 April, '04, No. 483, 



pp. 548-549). 



Believes it is a mistake to change time of 

 meeting from summer to winter. Inclemency 

 of weather, inability to secure long vacation 

 at this period, and love of home-life at this 

 time are sufficient reasons. Believes it to be 

 a good time for meeting of societies of re- 

 stricted membership. Believes it to be a good 

 plan to return to former arrangement. 



Arthur Hollick (15 April, '04, No. 485, pp. 



620-621). 



Main province of association would seem, 

 in future, to be that of organization and 

 popularization of science. Let summer m,eet- 

 ings he continued for purpose of arousing and 

 maintaining popular interest and to serve as 

 a common meeting ground for scientific and 

 non-scientific men. Social element to be en- 

 couraged and get beginners and amateurs 

 acquainted with older members. Open ques- 

 tion whether winter meetings in addition are 



