August 29, 1884.] 



SCIENCE. 



161 



dents of science in America, we extend a cor- 

 dial welcome to the greatest bod}* representative 

 of the intellect of the old world which has ever 

 visited our shores. Did our visitors not repre- 

 sent the most hospitable of nations, we should 

 indulge in bolder assurances of the warmth of 

 the reception they will meet with from all classes 

 of Americans. But those who know what Eng- 

 lish hospitality is will content themselves with 

 modestly hoping that American hospitality does 

 not fall far short of it, and with remarking that 

 our great railways extend a corporate hospi- 

 tality to distinguished visitors which is not 

 known abroad. 



The sentimental consideration that the visit 

 is one the very possibility of which is a strik- 

 ing illustration of what science has done, will 

 add zest to the occasion. In times past, the 

 idea of a local society choosing a place of meet- 

 ing across the Atlantic would have appeared 

 as quixotic as can readily be imagined. In- 

 deed, we can but suspect that the project at 

 first presented a little of this appearance to a 

 majority of those concerned, and that a meet- 

 ing very successful in point of numbers was 

 hardly expected. But the result seems likely 

 to more than realize the hopes of the most 

 sanguine supporters of the project, and it is 

 fitting that the promoters of science should en- 

 joy to the utmost a result which the work of 

 their class has rendered possible. 



Circumstances are in several ways favorable 

 for paying us a visit. The time and place of 

 holding the meeting of the American associa- 

 tion were especially chosen so as to facilitate 

 the reception of any visitors from the sister- 

 organization who might grace the meeting by 

 their presence. Arriving in Philadelphia, they 

 will find not only our own association, but the 

 electrical exhibition of the Franklin institute. 

 Although the latter cannot be expected to rival 

 the great displays at Paris and Vienna, it will 

 afford a better opportunity than any which 

 has been offered in Europe, for seeing what has 

 been done here in forwarding the utilitarian 

 applications of electricity. Visiting electri- 

 cians, of whom we may hope for a considera- 

 ble number, may also expect an invitation to 



take part in the electrical conference, which is 

 to be conducted under the auspices of the 

 government, and in which the novelties of the 

 exhibition will be made known. Philadelphia 

 is only four hours distant from the national 

 capital, and thus a visit can be made to the 

 collections of the government without any 

 serious loss of time. The division of his time 

 between pleasure and business will be a ques- 

 tion for the decision of each individual visitor, 

 to whom the journeys and excursions tendered 

 to the American association will be freely open. 

 He should, however, bear in mind that the col- 

 leges and universities are generally in vacation 

 till near the close of September. 



Finally, the student of politics and sociology 

 will regard it as fortunate that his visit takes 

 place in the height of a presidential canvass, 

 thus enabling him to study one of the most 

 interesting of political phenomena on the lar- 

 gest scale. If he judges only from the course 

 of newspaper criticism on the presidential 

 parties and candidates, he will doubt what the 

 future has in store for us ; but, if he looks 

 deeper, he will see a process of endosmosis, 

 by which, from the huge mass of objurgation, 

 falsehood, and not very elevated humor, politi- 

 cal acumen is being infiltrated into the minds 

 of millions of voters. And no one, whatever 

 his politics, need fear the danger of being con- 

 verted to new principles. Whether he be the 

 most advanced Liberal, or the most conserva- 

 tive Tory, he will have no difficulty in seeing 

 every thing by the light he brings with him, and 

 returning home with all his views strongly 

 confirmed. 



LORD RAYLEIGH. 



Lord Rayleigh, the president of the British 

 association of science for this year, is well 

 known to all Americans who have kept pace 

 with the development of physical science. 

 Although his reputation cannot be called a 

 popular one, yet no student of physical science 

 can well be ignorant of his investigations ; and 

 his treatise on sound places him easily in the 

 front rank of writers on a subject of which the 



