59° 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



vicinity were held during 1888-89. But it was not until March, 

 1890, that " The Boston Association " of the American Folk-lore 

 Society was organized.* The meetings are held once a month, from 

 November to June, in the rooms of the Boston Natural History 

 Society or at private houses. 



The activity of the Boston Association has been considerable. 

 Some pleasant features have been introduced into the proceedings 



in order to give variety to 

 the study in which the mem- 

 bers are interested. In 1891 

 a performance was held, un- 

 der the auspices of the asso- 

 ciation, at the Chinese thea- 

 ter. Last winter an enter- 

 tainment was given under 

 the name of " The Japanese 

 Dance." The dances pre- 

 sented histories or the phe- 

 nomena of Nature, displayed 

 by gesture and motion; 

 thus, Harusame (the Dew 

 of Spring) showed the fall- 

 ing of dew on flowers ; Sedo- 

 gahataki (the Vegetable 

 Garden), a humorous dance, 

 illustrating the gathering 

 of pumpkins and the trip- 

 ping over the vines ; Go- 

 shorasuma illustrated how 

 a maiden received her first love-letter, and so on. 



The Louisiana Association of the American Folk-lore Society 

 was organized in December, 1891, at New Orleans. \ The number 

 of members is fifty. The meetings of the association are held in 

 the library of Tulane University and at private residences, and 

 they have been exceedingly profitable and agreeable. 



The members of the Louisiana Association have a grand chance 

 to make their work known and felt. They are at home in one of 



Prof. D. P. Penhallow. 



* The following officers were chosen : President, Mr. Frederick W. Putnam ; vice-presi- 

 dents, Miss Abby L. Alger, department of Algonkin folk lore ; Clarence J. Blake, folk music ; 

 Prof. Francis J. Child, English folk lore ; Dana Estes, literature and publication ; Miss Mary 

 Hemenway, Zufii folk lore ; Colonel Thomas W. Higginson, Southern folk lore ; secretary, 

 W. W. Newell ; treasurer, Arthur G. Everett. 



f The officers of the association are : President, Prof. Alcee Fortier ; vice-president, Mrs. 

 Mary A. Townsend ; secretary and treasurer, Mr. William Beer ; assistant secretary, Edward 

 Forster ; executive board, Mrs. Francis Blake, Mrs. M. E. Davis, Mrs. George Howe, and 

 Colonel William Preston Johnston. 



