1913] Editoriais 503 



success. The primary reason for scepticism as to the possibility of 

 bringing about a successful affiliation of the sort proposed is that, his- 

 torically, it is a fact that various earHer attempts in the same direction 

 in this country have either failed at once, or at best had only a short 

 life. If the present plan, with its extensive publication program, is to 

 succeed, a reasonable assurance of permanency is necessary before even 

 a beginning can be made. Can a sufficiently dose agreement on mat- 

 ters of general and special policy be obtained in the different biological 

 societies to guarantee the necessary permanence to the undertaking? 



There is one matter of detail to which attention should be called. 

 On page 262 of the Mathews paper Stands this sentence : " All persons 

 sufficiently interested in the progress of biology to pay the dues of the 

 Society should be eligible for membership." It should be noted that 

 this proposal is directly contrary to the rules of admission of many of 

 the existing biological societies which it is hoped to affiliate. To speak 

 more particularly of the Amer. Soc. of Zool., I think it altogether un- 

 likely that a majority of that society would favor making its only quali- 

 fications for membership " interest in the subject" and "ability to pay 

 the dues." This society has consistently maintained a high Standard 

 in regard to the qualifications necessary for membership. The reason 

 for this policy is, I take it, that the society is an Organization of pro- 

 fessional zoologists desirous of meeting together to discuss the more 

 technical phases of their subject. There are a vast lot of people in the 

 country who are decidedly interested in one phase or another of zoology 

 who would neither be able to get any particular profit themselves out 

 of the meetings of the Amer. Soc. of Zool., nor to contribute anything 

 of especial interest or value to those meetings (so far as concerns the 

 present professional members). Yet it is on just that class of "gen- 

 erally interested " membership that the main financial foundation of 

 the Amer. Biolog. Soc'y would rest, if I correctly Interpret Professor 

 Mathews' fiscal policy. 



If it be urged that the Amer. Chem. Soc'y is an example of the suc- 

 cessful Operation of a scientific society without special requirements 

 for membership beyond an interest in the subject, it is fair to point out 

 that there is a real difference between chemistry and biology in regard 

 to this point. To be a chemist of whatever sort or degree, or even to 

 be interested in chemistry, implies some technical knowledge and expe- 

 rience with the fundamentals of the science. Interest in biology carries 

 no such implications. There are a great many people who are, or think 

 they are, interested in biolog}-' who have not the slightest real knowl- 



