112 The Microscope. 



on and still survives. We have watched it from near its beginning 

 w^ith much interest, wondering more than once if the scientific men, 

 the teachers of ^oology and biology could afford to let it go, and the 

 sequence has proven that they could not. It seems strange that the 

 scientists of this country take so little interest in science outside of 

 the limited sphere of their own pursuits; but that this 'is so the 

 meagre support gainsaid to special periodicals fully demonstrates. 

 From an English and German standpoint, flooded as those countries 

 are with scientific periodical literature in proceedings, weeklies, 

 monthlies, and quarterly installments, representing the careful work 

 and thought of the greatest of living men, this lethargy on the part 

 of Americans seems incredible. Is it, as the Naturalist says, because 

 so many of our scientific chairs in colleges are filled with untrained 

 men ? Such journals as the Naturalist, Science, Dr. Whitman's 

 Journal of Animal Morphology and The Microscope, deserve most 

 liberal support, and undoubtedly this state will obtain as soon as 

 a knowledge of fundamental methods becomes disseminated among 

 science teachers. 



We miss Dx'. Packard from the editorial chair of the Naturalist 

 which he has so long and ably tilled. The new publishers are to be 

 congratulated, however, in securing two such distinguished leading 

 editors as Edward D. Cope and J. S. Kingsley. 



The new editors start out with a stirring editorial in the Janu- 

 ary number, which we hope may prove a bee in somebody's bonnet. 

 Speaking of the teachers and methods of biology teaching in our 

 "four hundred colleges and iiniversities," they say : " The teachers 

 of biology are worthy men without biological training, men whose 

 ideas and methods are those of a generation ago, and who have no 

 more idea of modern science and modern scientific thought than 

 have the poorest of the pupils who are unfortunate enough to come 

 under them." These teachers are mostly clergymen and lawyers 

 who must have some position in their college. 



Those who have read the life of Louis Agassiz, will understand 

 in part why his life was so eminently successful. Enthusiasm may 

 accomplish much, but enthusiasm without a sui-e foundation, built 

 of long and systematic training, is too often only the blind leading 

 the blind. 



One point upon which we would lay particular stress is that one 

 high road to success in zoology and biology lies through the micro- 

 scope. 



