AMERICANISTS (from Americanistes), all those who devote themselves to the study of (1) the native races of America— their origin, distribution, history, physical characteris tics, languages, inventions, customs and re ligions; (2) the history of the early contact between America and the Old World. The name was probably first given to the members of the French Societe Americaine de France, and later to students of any nationality who are interested in the archaeology, ethnology and early history of the two Americas. Since 1875 such students have met at irregular intervals in an association known as the Congres Inter national des Americanistes. This congress grew out of the Societe Americaine de France, which was formed in 1857 by several French students who had become interested in the pre-Colum bian civilizations of South America and Mexico; after this society had flourished for 18 years its members decided to invite Americanists of for eign countries to a congress. The first inter national meeting was held in 1875 at Nancy, France, where statutes were adopted and plans laid for the continuance of the organization. Since 10 other meetings have been held in various European cities and two in America (City of Mexico, 1895, and New York city, 1902). At first the intention was to hold bi ennial sessions, but after a few years it was decided to meet at irregular intervals, the coun cil of each congress determining the time and place of the next session. The meetings have a polyglot character, as speakers may use either French, German, Italian, Spanish or English. The addresses may be either written or oral and are limited to 20 minutes in length. All papers presented may, with the approval of the committee, be issued in the printed (Proceed ings' which are usually in French (Congres In ternational des Americanistes, Comte-Rendu)), and published in two volumes for each meeting.
In addition to the papers the reports contain lists of the members enrolled and minutes of the business transacted at each session. Any one interested in the subjects discussed may become a member of any congress by a sub scription ($3, American money, or an equiv alent in the currency of the country where the congress meets), which entitles him not only to take part in the sessions but to receive the reports of the congress and all other publica tions issued by it. The subjects considered at each meeting range through meteorology, geol ogy, archwology and ethnology to comparative philology, the history of the pre-Columbian arts and religions, the early discoverers of America and its early relations to European nations. Representatives from almost every nation, even from China and Japan, are found on the lists, which have included as members (not neces sarily as attendants) many of the most eminent archaeologists, ethnologists and anthropologists in Europe, England and America. For a full account of the 13th congress, held at the Ameri can Museum of Natural History in New York city 20-25 Oct. 1902, see Science, New Series, Vol. XVI, p. 884. Previous meetings are re ported in Nature, Vol. XIV, p. 355; Popular Science Monthly, Vol. XXXIV, p. 686, and Vol. XXXVII•, p. 685. The 19th International Congress of Americanists was held in 1915-16 at Washington in conjunction with the Anthro pology section of the 2d Pan-American Scien tific Congress.