SHOULD AN AMERICAN NATURE-STUDY SOCIETY BE 



ORGANIZED? 



In order to get as soon as possible an answer to above ques- 

 tion from very many nature-study workers, I have decided to 

 print at once the following suggestions, which for some time 

 have been in my desk awaiting mimeographing for circulation in 

 letters to many nature-study workers whose opinions were 

 wanted before publishing" the question for a general answer. 

 However, not the opinions of ten men or even of one hundred, 

 but rather the opinions of at least one thousand should ultimately 

 decide such a question. Therefore I have thought best to put 

 the suggestions directly into print, so that the more than two 

 thousand readers of this issue of The Review may be asked to 

 express their opinions as to the advisability of attempting to 

 organize a national society for the advancement of the nature- 

 study movement. The idea of printing, instead of mimeograph- 

 ing for limited circulation, bas come so recently that there has 

 not been time to show the manuscript even to my colleagues of 

 the editorial committee of The Review. Whether the sugges- 

 tions given below are impractical or not, the question is impor- 

 tant enough to warrant a canvass of nature-study workers for 

 an expression of opinion ; and I hope that the readers of the fol- 

 lowing notes will at once write their frankest criticisms. 



My experience witb the editorial work of The Review has 

 convinced me that the time has come when nature-study workers 

 ought to be united in a strong national organization. The fol- 

 lowing are some reasons : ( i ) in order to get more closely in 

 touch with each other's work, ( 2 ) in order to get more educators 

 and scientific men into touch with nature-study movement, and 

 (3) in order to demonstrate the extent and strength to which 

 the nature-study movement has already attained. Of course 

 all these are important steps in the advancement of the work- 

 in general. 



In support of the preceding claim for the value of organiza- 

 tion, it should be noted that, with the exception of the nature- 



