1913] Editoriais 135 



I am in favor, however, of that part of the plan pertaining to the 

 lowering of the subscription rate on several Journals if all are sub- 

 scribed for at the same time. This would enable an instructor 

 located, let us say, in the middle West or South, whose nearest 

 libraries are of moderate size, to supply himself with the Journals 

 he needs. But in so far as men nearer large libraries might find this 

 unnecessary, I believe a vote should be taken so that those who are 

 willing to subscribe to a set of Journals can express their wishes in 

 the matter. Speaking for myself — " I couldn't drink another drop." 



Ulric Dahlgren, Princeton, N. J. I would prefer to see the 

 existing Soc'y of Naturalists continued and strengthened and re- 

 formed. 



Lewis W. Fetzer, Office of Expt. Stations, U. S. Dep't of 

 Agric, Washington, D. C. I am of the opinion that the Mathews 

 plan is an admirable one, but the success of the Organization can 

 only come through the amalgamation of existing societies. An 

 entirely new Organization is an unnecessary evil. 



The abstract Journal idea is a good one and should receive the 

 generous support of all interested in the biological sciences. To 

 say the least, we are sorely in need of a Journal of this character. 



Members of the new society should have the option of subscrib- 

 ing to three or more Journals, but the abstract Journal should always 

 be amongst the minimum number. This would allow investigators 

 with limited finances to subscribe to a few foreign Journals. A 

 "Journal of Biological Industries" is needed in this country, but it 

 should not be forced upon all the members of the society. 



William J. Gies, Columbia Univ. I favor the objects of Prof. 

 Mathews' plan. I believe that the logical development of the Feder- 

 ation of Amer. Societies for Exp. Biology, which was organized a 

 year ago and which is in effect an embryonic Amer. Biolog. Soc'y, 

 would secure all the many desirable results at which Prof. Mathews' 

 excellent and far-reaching plan is aimed. The Federation, by a 

 process of evolution, will probably gather into its affiliations all the 

 societies that show natural tendencies to Cooperation ; the constituent 

 societies will be natural sections; the obvious economies in the 

 issuance of Joint programs and the publication of coordinated pro- 



