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more recondite phases of each field, that there is now far less 

 community of interest and of intelligent appreciation, even 

 among scientific workers themselves. This fundamental change, 

 brings new problems of organization and of adjustment. In like 

 iiianner, the function of an academy as an avenue of publication 

 has a'^suined a new aspect. Fifty years ago, an appropriate 

 means of publication was one of the greatest needs which the 

 academies supplied to the pioneer workers, for, aside from 

 these ac.ademies, the available opportunities of giving publicity 

 and permanence to scientific results were few and unsatisfac- 

 tory. As the regional element was dominant in the results of 

 the early naturalists, it was fitting that there should be a local 

 means of publication. Today, however, the results of research 

 are, in general, more serviceable to scientific workers if they 

 are gathered into the special journals devoted to the several 

 departments of science. While the function of publishing the 

 results of regional investigations still remains, and may well 

 continue to be subserved by the regional academies of science, 

 and while certain adaptations of other results may serve an im- 

 portant regional purpose, the rjuestion whether an academy 

 should endeavor to be the avenue of miscellaneous publication 

 to the same extent as in the early davs is one of the problems 

 that invite tlie serious consideration of a new academy. 



Attention was also directed to the problems presented by 

 the geographic distribution of the centers of scientific activity 

 within the State and by the not altogether felicitious relations 

 of these centers to the capital of Illinois. 



The advantages of a state academy to those who are just en- 

 tering upon scientific careers, to amateurs dissociated from in- 

 stitutions of research, to trained workers in relative isolation, 

 and to workers in scientific centers, were specifically set forth. 

 The values to be derived from opportunities of reading papers 



