THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION 



77 



of the universe; his penetrating discussions 

 and extensive memoirs on the formation of 

 coral atols, his monograph of the echino- 

 derms, his many contributions to the acalcphs 

 and to the embryology and early stages of 

 other groups will give him an enduring fame. 

 With every temptation to lead a life of ease, 

 he was one of the hardest workers among 

 naturalists, and his magnificent support of the 

 great museum founded by his father, makes 

 him one of the greatest contributors to the 

 University. — The Harvard Crimson. 



Nearer to Nature. 

 AYe take people of all ages Nearer to 

 Nature. 



The Agassiz Association has a mem- 

 bership in all parts of the world, of all 

 ages, of wide range of talent, of all de- 

 grees of wealth or the lack of it. 

 Every one is animated by the single 

 purpose, Nearer to Nature. 



The child reports upon drawings of 

 leaves, or the planting of seeds in a pot 

 of earth ; the man sends us drawings of 

 centrosomes or he plants thousands of 

 nut trees. AYe have members actually 

 doing these things and hundreds of 

 others equally diverse. All are trying 

 to get Nearer to Nature. 



The Guide to Nature in describing 

 the rasping tongue of a snail or telling 

 about digging out the remains of a 

 mammoth ; of caring for a bird, or 

 building a palatial home at the sea- 

 shore, is merely getting Nearer to 

 Nature. 



In our advertising columns may be 

 found offered for sale a country estate, 

 the lumber for a house, the lens for 

 a camera, a treatise on an animal, a 

 plant to set out, or a mineral to study. 

 All are means of getting Nearer to 

 Nature. 



YYe do not scatter our efforts ; we 

 concentrate on a single idea; we work 

 faithfully on one principle — getting 

 Nearer to Nature. 



Our members are workers. They 

 include some from the kindergarten, 

 some who are farmers, housekeepers, 

 professors, presidents of great univer- 

 sities — everybody. Our membership 

 encircles the globe. In the mail come 

 reports from Maine, New Mexico, 

 Japan, New Zealand, and the next 

 street. 



All are trying to get Nearer to Na- 

 ture. And the cause is advancing. 



Cooperation Invited. 



Can there be work more important, 

 surer of results, than to set forth the 

 interests and beauties of this natural 

 world for the benefit of associates and 

 successors? 



Ymi believe Browning was right 

 when he said, "God must be glad one 

 loves His world so much". 



Then help The Agassiz Association 

 in showing the worthiness of that love 

 — of inspiring and increasing it. 



The Acton Vale A Chapter. 



On our roll there are twenty-one 

 members. Here is a resume of the sub- 

 jects discussed during the year. 



A paper was read on appendicitis, its 

 causes and the probable use of the ap- 

 pendix. Reference was made to the ar- 

 ticle which appeared in the December, 

 1908, number of The Guide to Nature. 

 Strange as it may appear, one of our 

 members had to undergo an operation on 

 that account which fortunately was suc- 

 cessful. 



The new Arcadia at Sound Beach, 

 Connecticut, the home of The Agassiz 

 Association, was pleasingly brought be- 

 fore the members and they evidenced 

 much interest in it. 



We had from the Reverend Leopold 

 Alassicotte an interesting paper on the 

 Infusoria, or miscroscopic animalcules, 

 which abound in the bottom of the ocean 

 and of which the chalk formation is 

 nothing but their remains. 



The President of the Chapter gave an 

 introductory lecture on mineralogy 

 which elicited a pleasing discussion. He 

 also presented a paper on the Ephemeri- 

 dae or shad-flies which live only from 

 six to twelve hours after the attainment 

 of their perfect transformation ; but 

 have time to lay their eggs on the top of 

 the water, the eggs sinking to the bot- 

 tom where they hatch. In addition he 

 gave two papers on entomology ; the first 

 being on the eyed elater (.lions ocula- 

 tits) or velvet spotted spring beetle 

 which has a large dark spot on each side 

 of the prothorax. looking like two large 

 eyes. The specimen was one and one- 

 half inches long. The second paper was 

 on a specimen of one of the largest 

 beetles to be found in Canada, belong- 



