126 



Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 



Vol. 27, Art. 2 



natural sciences can safely be relej^ated to 

 a secondary or back-seat position is open 

 to question. Almost 100 years ago, B. 

 D. Walsh, deploring American neglect 

 of the natural sciences, observed : "They 

 manage these things better in Europe. In 

 Russia and other continental states, En- 

 tomology in its rudiments is made a por- 

 tion of common school education" (Anon. 

 1860:12). 



There is every reason to believe that 

 current entomological research in other 

 countries is in no way inferior to our 



own. If the biological sciences, including 

 entomology, are neglected in a revitalized 

 educational program, America may find 

 herself again out-distanced by other coun- 

 tries — by men who are trained in a sci- 

 ence-oriented system that is balanced to 

 include all areas of scientific endeavor. If 

 one step forward in the physical sciences 

 causes us to slide two steps backward in 

 the biological sciences, all our efforts spent 

 to initiate a sound program for the ad- 

 vancement of science — all science — will 

 have proved useless. 



