332 Electrons [Jan. 



presenting these objections informally to our colleagues \ve empha- 

 sized, however, the desirability of more intimate affiliation between 

 the leading biological societies, in harmony zvith the policy of the 

 American Society of Biological Chemists front its estahlishment, 

 and suggested the Organization of a " federation" of independent 

 societies for the attainment of that purpose and other mutually 

 advantageous objects. There was much discussion but no decision. 



The Organization of the Biochemical Society of England, mean- 

 while, with all that its existence implies,^ gave added weight to the 

 objections that were raised against the assimilation of the Amer- 

 ican Society of Biological Chemists by the American Physiological 

 Society. 



During the past year the " federation " idea has won its way into 

 unanimous acceptance, as is indicated by the account in this issue of 

 the Organization of the Federation of American Societies for Ex- 

 perimental Biology (page 269). The Federation is, in effect, an 

 embryonic American Biological Society, the independent societies 

 being its working divisions. The plan of federation has not weak- 

 ened the independence or impaired the autonomy of any of the con- 

 stituent societies. 



We heartily commend to the attention of all our readers the 

 Mathews plan for the Organization of the American Biological So- 

 ciety, which is published in füll in this issue (page 261 ). We believe 

 that the logical development of the Federation would secure all the 

 many desirable results at which Professor Mathews' excellent and 

 far-reaching plan is aimed, including the establishment and success- 

 ful conduct of a Biological Abstract Journal. We hope to present 

 the views of some of our colleagues on this and related subjects in 

 our July issue. 



The knowledge of nature as it is — not as we imagine it to be — 



constitutes true science. — Paracelsus. 



„ Liability to error is the price we pay for forward 



Electrons -^ o- , • i. 



movement. — o idgwick. 



The secret of all who make discoveries is to look upon nothing 



as impossible. — von Liehig. 



^Halliburton: Biochemical Bulletin, 1912, i, p. 484; ii, p. 128; 1913, ii (this 

 issue), p. 318. 



