Academic Costume.

In the last Yale Letter a brief mention was made of the adoption by the Yale corporation of a new rule regarding academic costume. As the rule will probably be adopted very soon by about forty other colleges, the full text of the Yale statute, given below, will be of interest:

ACADEMIC COSTUME.Section 1. The following academic costume is permitted to be worn upon all appropriate occasions, to indicate the several degrees enjoyed in the University, and the faculties to which they pertain:

A. - GOWN.1. Pattern - The form ordinarily worn, with pointed sleeves, for the bachelor's degree; with long, closed sleeves, for the master's degree; with round, open sleeves, for the doctor's degree.

2. Material - Worsted stuff for the bachelor's degree; silk for the master's and doctor's degrees. The color shall be black.

3. Trimmings - For the bachelor's and master's degrees the gowns are to be untrimmed. For the doctor's degree the gown is to be faced down the front with black velvet, with bars of the same across the sleeves, if desired, or the facings and cross bars may be of velvet of the same color as the binding or edging of the hood, being distinctive of the Faculty to which the degree pertains.

B. - HOODS.1. Pattern - The pattern usually followed by colleges and universities save as modified below.

2. Material - The same as that of the gown. Color, black.

3. Length - The length and form of the hood will indicate the degree, as follows: For the bachelor's degree the length shall be three-fourths that of the master's degree. The master's degree shall be the customary length, not exceeding four feet, and the doctor's degree shall be of the same length but have panels on the sides.

4. Lining - The hoods shall be lined with the official color of the university - dark blue.

5. Trimmings - The anterior edge of the hood shall be bound with silk, satin or velvet, not more than four inches in width, the color to be distinctive of the faculty to which the degree pertains, thus: Faculty and Art Letters, white; Faculty of Theology, scarlet; Faculty of Law, purple; Faculty of Medicine, green; Faculty of Philosophy, dark blue; Faculty of Science, gold yellow; Faculty of Fine Arts, brown; Faculty of Music, pink.

C. - CAPS.The caps shall be of the material and form generally used, and commonly called mortar-board caps. The color shall be dark. The doctor's caps may be of velvet. Each cap shall be ornamented with a long tassel attached to the middle point of the top. The tassel of the doctor's cap may be in whole or in part of gold thread.

Sec. 2. Members of the corporation shall be entitled during their terms of office to wear the gown of highest dignity - that of the doctor's degree - together with the hood appropriate to the degree which they may have severally received. Members of the faculties, and any person officially connected with the university, who have been recipients of academic honors from other universities or colleges in good standing, may assume the academic costume corresponding to their degree, as described in the foregoing section, provided that such right shall terminate if said persons shall cease to be connected with the university. The president and deans of faculty may adopt distinctive badges not inconsistent with the costumes hereinbefore described.