584 Mathezvs Plan for American Biological Society [July 



induce all biologists of the country to subscribe to all biological 

 Journals published in America is foredoomed to failure. For no 

 one can pretend to keep up with the advances in all the branches of 

 biology, and, moreover, the cost of storing the volumes would soon 

 become embarrassing to anyone who attempts to live on a biolog- 

 ical salary. The suggested reduction in cost would seem to depend 

 on the formation of a society approaching in size the Amer. Chem. 

 Soc'y, but until biology shall have as profitable applications as 

 chemistry, this seems rather a hope than a possibility. 



G. W. Crile, Cleveland, Ohio. Although I appreciate the many 

 arguments advanced in favor of Prof. Mathews' plan, I do not see 

 my own way clear to express an unqualified commendation of the 

 idea, as I should want to be assured that the work of this associa- 

 tion would covfer a field which has not as yet been touched upon by 

 any other existing society, and that could not be developed in some 

 one of them. 



Arthur W. Dox, Iowa State College Agric. Exper. Station. 

 I fail to see any special advantage to be gained by consolidating 

 the existing biological societies, much less by organizing a new 

 society. The chief inducement appears to be the clubbing rate 

 which would enable the members to secure a greater number of 

 Journals at a low cost. I am personally of the opinion, however, 

 that the majority of the biologists, were they to increase the num- 

 ber of their subscriptions, would derive greater benefit by subscrib- 

 ing to a few foreign periodicals in their chosen field than by taking 

 on a greater number of Amer. Journals. 



Walter H. Eddy, High School of Commerce, N. Y. City. The 

 modern biology teacher in the secondary school is largely concerned 

 in presenting the phases of biology that are intimately related to the 

 results of current research. At the same time he is rarely in a local- 

 ity where he can keep in intimate touch with such research through 

 libraries or research institutions, and even in so rieh a Community 

 as N. Y. City the field is so broad and the interests so varied that 

 here too he is dependent upon Journals for most of his Information. 

 In view of all these facts and in view of the financial impossibility 

 of indefinite subscription to Journals, any such plan as Dr. Mathews 



