1896.] Editor’s Table. 805 
EDITOR’S TABLE. 
Tue late meeting of the American Association for the Advancement 
of Science while less numerously attended than some others, was a 
larger gathering than has sometimes represented it. The meetings of 
the Association cannot be as large relatively to our population as those 
of most of the European nations, because of the longer distances which 
the members are compelled to transverse in order to reach them, Many 
of the most active workers must always be absent in the field during 
the summer months, especially so long as our country presents such 
opportunities for original research. The summer schools take away 
some members. The meeting at Buffalo was held in such a way as to 
discourage the attendance of those who regard it as merely an oppor- 
tunity for junketting. The meetings extended from Monday to Friday 
inclusive, and Saturday only was reserved for excursions. This 
arrangement was greatly to the advantage of work, the maintainance _ 
of interest, and of the attendance. The members present were more 
than usually conspicuous as workers, and the number and value of 
the papers read was fully up to the best standard. 
The Association decided to meet in Detroit at the unusually early 
date of August 9th, next year. This date was fixed on account of the 
approaching meeting of the British Association at Toronto on August 
18th following. A cordial invitation from the citizens of Toronto to 
take part in the reception of the British Association was accepted, and 
this will follow the meeting at Detroit.’ A respectable minority of the 
Association thought that we should suspend our meeting for that year, 
or meet formally for organization only, and then adjourn to take part 
in the reception of the British Association. This view carried the 
Nominating Committee, but was not approved by the Association. 
That the Association did wisely there can be no doubt, and the circum- 
stance shows that all the wisdom in that body is not concentrated in 
its representatives in the Nominating Committee. The reasons put 
forth by the Committee for its action were plausible, but were believed 
to be fallacious by a large majority of the Association. One of these 
reasons was the assumption that the American Association meeting 
would necessarily be neglected by its members if the British Associa- 
tion meet in Toronto. The Association thought otherwise, especially as 
it was remembered that the second largest meeting ever held was in 
* Not however by special adjournment as stated in Nature of Sept. 17, p. 480. 
