$86 Mathczvs Plan for 'American Biological Society [July 



long feit that there was a real place for such a Journal among us, 

 and have several times urged such both orally, and in written and 

 printed Communications. At present our biological Journals are not 

 fully meeting the necessities for either general or prompt publica- 

 tion, and we get next to nothing in the way of abstracts of literature 

 or reviews of current publications. I should like to see something 

 after the plan proposed by Mathews put into Operation so far as a 

 Journal of this sort is concerned. 



Concerning the proposed " Society " I have serious doubts. 

 Already we have more societies than we can support decently. And 

 to add another to the list, unless it were of such a character as to 

 meet a real need, could hardly commend general or enthusiastic 

 support. If one or two which long ago passed into practical 

 desuetude could be allowed to find a niche in some mortuary hall 

 of fame it could well be possible to fill the place by a society 

 something after the Mathews plan. I should incline to hope very 

 sincerely that its name might be unencumbered by that overworked 

 adjective "American" ! Pray let us have at least one society which 

 can be trusted to stand on its own characteristic merits, without 

 expletives, apologies, or explanations. 



E. M. HouGHTON, Detroit, Mich. After careful consideration 

 of the subject, I most heartily commend the proposed plan as one 

 that will be most desirable for those of us who are specially inter- 

 ested in biological subjects. I hope that the movement may gather 

 sufficient force to put the matter into practical Operation. 



J. S. KiNGSLEY, Tufts Col. I have been greatly interested in 

 Dr. Mathews' plan for the Organization of a general society to 

 Cover all sides of biology and wish that it could be consummated, 

 but I am afraid that he has overestimated the membership and 

 income of such an Organization and has underestimated the expenses 

 of the Journals to such an extent that it vitiates the whole scheme. 

 Thus I believe that a Journal of abstracts, well done, would be of 

 great value, but I do not see in the plan any adequate provision for 

 the payment for the abstracts, and I know from experience that 

 there are few who can be depended upon to do the work as a labor 

 of love. The Joiir. of the Royal Micros. Soc'y publishes such ab- 

 stracts in a limited field, and one of the editors told me that he was 

 paid a salary of £120 a year for about half of the zoological ab- 



