CHAPTER XV11. 

 THE COUNCIL OF THE A. A. 



The Council of the A. A. is Composed of thirty-five 

 specialists who have volunteered their services to the 

 Association, and who hold themselves in constant readi- 

 ness to answer questions in their several departments 

 of science. They are also willing" to aid our members 

 by determining for them the names of, specimens. All 

 these services are rendered without any charge what- 

 ever, and purely from a disinterested regard for young 

 students and the general advancement of science. Many 

 of these gentlemen have been connected with the A. A. 

 in this helpful capacity for more than ten years, and 

 now, in renewing their gracious offers of assistance, the 

 only thing they make a grievance of is the small num- 

 ber of demands upon their time. Our members may 

 therefore feel that they will most plainly show their 

 appreciation of the kindness of our Council by sending 

 to them more and more frequently requests for aid in 

 solving whatever problems may perplex them. 



There are thousands of amateur naturalists belong- 

 ing to our Society (and thousands more whom we shall 

 be g - lad to welcome into it) who, living in places of 

 more or less isolation, have scant opportunities for 

 special scientific instruction. Such students can now. 

 through the assistance of the Council of the A. A., prose- 

 cute their scientific work at home with a reasonable de- 

 gree of success. They can receive advice as to the best 

 books for use in their several' departments of study, may- 

 exchange specimens and reports with members in other 

 parts of the world, and all without expense. May not the 

 A. A. thus be the means of helping to solve one of the 



