DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF NATURE 



105 



available to a student in California or in 

 Japan as it is to one in Sound Beach. It 

 is a clearing house for the interchange of 

 the observations of all naturalists. The 

 youngest child can have its flower or co- 

 coon identified and through it the most 

 learned scientists of the land can have the 

 benefit of personal communication with 

 experts in any branch of scientific study. 

 The technical student, the occasional 

 sight-seer or the fanatical hobbyist may 

 obtain a response or a sympathetic in- 

 terest at ArcAdiA. The youngest boy 

 or girl is encouraged to see and to tell 

 what he sees. A student recently arrived 

 at ArcAdiA is eighty-two years of age. 

 There are others of equal age or equal 

 youth who have never seen ArcAdiA 

 and who probably never will see it. but 

 that are benefited by the institution. 

 The buildings are : 



The Welcome Reception Room where 

 companies gather for social and general 

 educational and scientific purposes. It 

 is what the word, "Welcome," implies. 

 The building is never rented, an admis- 

 sion fee is never required. That is the 

 spirit of ArcAdiA. The recipient knows 

 that there are expenses and he may aid 

 to any extent or not at all. The one who 

 gives nothing in money receives as care- 

 ful attention as the one who has given 

 thousands. On the same principle the 

 one who knows but little of nature is 

 treated with the same courtesy and with 

 the same manifestation of our desire to 

 aid as is the famous specialist. Our vis- 

 itors and correspondents include all these 

 classes. 



Then there are the office, the labora- 

 torv where problems are worked out and 

 methods for the disseminating of infor- 

 mation are devised. 



The observatory is equipped with a 

 six-inch Clark telescope and is now mak- 

 ing every efifort to secure an additional 

 four-inch in order to provide for the 

 large parties that frequently visit it. In 

 this observatory we do not attempt origi- 

 nal, scientific work. The purpose is to 

 teach others what is already known, and 

 to interest and uplift them along these 

 lines. The aim is not new facts, but a 

 new life. 



The apiarian laboratory is better equip- 

 ped than any other in the country. It 

 gives information freely, as is proved 

 bv the demonstrations of the fact that 



honeybees may be safely handled in the 

 s])irit of love. It is one of the most at- 

 tractive features of the institution. 



'ilic storage building contains an enor- 

 mous number of negatives and illustra- 

 tions of every phase of nature study. 

 From this house these are prettv con- 

 stantly sent to naturalist's publications 

 in all parts of the country. 



Botany Bungalow is the home of an 

 experienced botanist who gives her time 

 freely in answering questions by corre- 

 spondence or assisting in the instruction 

 of visitors. 



Birchen Bower, the residence of the 

 Bigelow family, while a part of ArcAdiA, 

 is not owned by The Agassiz Association, 

 yet it adds to the comfort and satisfaction 

 of the visitor and the facilities for carry- 

 ing on the work of The Agassiz Associa- 

 tion. 



The Agassiz Grove is a picturesque 

 place and is well adapted for visitors, for 

 picnics or for ornithological students. In 

 this grove there will be a development 

 known as Little Japan, consisting of pa- 

 vilion, cook room, rest cottage, etc. In 

 connection with ArcAdiA is the Forest 

 of Arden of 100 acres, a region of uncul- 

 tivated nature within about six minutes 

 walk of ArcAdiA and well adapted to all 

 sorts of biological investigations, includ- 

 ing microscopical life of remarkable 

 richness and variety. 



The growth of the institution in recent 

 years has been rapid. The Agassiz As- 

 sociation has the hearty cooperation of 

 the New York, New Haven and Hart- 

 ford Railroad, which leases to it, for a 

 nominal sum, an extent of territory for 

 the study of wild nature. In this part 

 numerous trees and shrubs have been 

 planted, and walks have been built by the 

 generous and liberal aid of the railroad 

 company. The institution depends for 

 its support upon membership fees, gifts, 

 and the income from subscriptions and 

 ndvertisements in its magazine. The 

 Guide; to Nature. The President of the 

 Association receives only a nominal sum 

 for certain mechanical work in connec- 

 tion with the magazine. He has no sal- 

 ary for editing The Guide to Nature 

 nor as president of The Agassiz Associa- 

 tion. In this missionary work he is lib- 

 erallv aided by the members of his fam- 

 ilv and by a number of associated nat- 

 uralists. Some of the latter edit depart- 



