THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 29 



modest to give his name, but the aid is none the less substan- 

 tial because of this. When the Agassiz Association was first 

 started, there were practically no books of a popular nature 

 by which a student, working alone, could get an insight into 

 the phase of natural history that attracted him, but with the 

 increase of science-teaching in the schools and the issuing of a 

 vast number of books on every conceivable phase of nature, 

 the need for a society like the Agassiz Association was 

 less urgent and there was a general falling off in membership. 

 We are of the opinion, however, that there is as still, a decided 

 need for something of the kind and that Dr. Bige- 

 low will find out how to adapt the society to the 

 need. If "Arcadia" proves to be a success after two 

 years trial, it will become a permanent feature; if not, we 

 may expect Dr. Bigelow to originate something else as novel. 

 More than twenty thousand boys and girls have been helped 

 over hard places by the Agassiz Association. Among them 

 was the editor of this magazine who remembers with pleasure 

 and gratitude his connection with it and he could wish no 

 better fortune for the rising generation than that it, too, may 

 discover the delights of membership. The American Fern 

 Society, the Sullivant Moss Chapter, and the Gray Memorial 

 Botanical Chapter, all had their origin in the old Agassiz As- 

 sociation. 



* * * 



The appearance of an edition of "Gray's Manual" contain- 

 ing pictures of a large number of plants has called forth a pro- 

 test from Henry M. Bolley who takes the ground in a recent 

 number of Science that the usefulness of the manual is greatly 

 impaired for school work because it no longer compels the stu- 

 dent to study out all the details of the plant in hand to be sure 

 of not going astray. In a large number of cases he now has 

 only to look at the pictures and compare his plants with them. 

 While the latter proceeding may put the pupil in possession of 



