14 



To the latter of these two functions of the academy I want 

 to direct a few remarks ; and I will become concrete at once. 



In Biology as in other sciences, there are certain lines of work 

 which cannot be pursued to advantage by the student away 

 from laboratories and libraries. On the other hand, there are 

 certain problems of extension, of behavior and relation — i. e. 

 of distribution and ecology — which are quite open to such study. 

 As a matter of fact our present situation calls for thousands of 

 just such scattered or distributed studies. 



Furthermore, if we can bring these needs clearly to the con- 

 sciousness of the workers, there are probably hundreds of pos- 

 sible workers who would find it a pleasure to do something, if 

 they only knew what to do and how to go about it. 



For these reasons the conviction has been growing on me, 

 since the organization of this Academy, that we can do some- 

 thing in the conservation line ourselves ; and that the time has 

 come when a wise committee, who does not want a monopoly 

 of the honor of doing the scientific work of the state them- 

 selves, could render a tremendous service to the great body of 

 biological workers who may not be quite equal to self-guided 

 work; and at the same time advance the knowledge of Illinois 

 biology. 



In my own observation of conditions it appears to me that 

 the lack of initiative on the part of many who might be ad- 

 ding to our knowledge arises from the following things : 



1. They do not know what has been done and fear that 

 their efforts would be wasted. 



2. Hence, they do not know what are considered the need- 

 ful things to be done, and where to put their energies. 



3. They quite probably arc uncertain as to the best mode to 

 proceed to accomplish something which would really contri- 

 bute to knowledge. 



I hasten to say that I am not assuming that the Academy 

 can make finished scientists of these; but merely that a con- 

 servation of scientific energy can be secured, and that actual 

 additions may be made to our knowledge which might escape 

 the finished scientists for years. 



