482 Biology in America 



men in as many places may each be working on the same 

 problem, wholly oblivious of the work of the others. Our 

 journals and societies do indeed serve as channels of com- 

 iiinnication between workers, but usually not until their 

 problems are well under way, or perhaps completed. INIight 

 not these societies, through committees appointetl for this pur- 

 pose, serve to at least put workers along similar lines in 

 closer touch with one another than they are at present? 

 Such a suggestion is not new, but so far as the writer knows, 

 it has not yet received sufficient consideration:'- To attempt 

 to dii-ect research in the sense of limiting individuals in their 

 choice of problems, would have a deadening, if not deadly 

 effect on all scientific progress. But guidance along the line 

 of co-ordination of effort should be as stimulating as the other 

 would be depressing. 



Might not institutions also combine with advantage in the 

 prosecution of special researches? A striking and salutary 

 example of such co-ordinated effort between governments was 

 afforded by the International Council for Investigation of 

 the Sea, prior to the great war, whose work has been men- 

 tioned in a previous chapter. It was organized in 1902 to 

 eliminate waste of effort and of money in the study of the 

 physics, chemistry and biology of the ocean and its economic 

 resources. While each government prosecuted its own re- 

 searches in its own territory, all of the results were turned 

 in to the central office at Copenhagen for collaboration and 

 publication, and the general plan of the investigations was 

 outlined by a central committee chosen from representatives 

 of all the governments concerned. By means of this co-ordi- 

 nation results of great scientific and economic importance 

 were achieved, with material saving of time and effort. 



It would appear both feasible and desirable to effect a 

 similar co-ordination of effort in our own country. On our 

 western coast for example are several institutions engaged 

 primarily in a study of the biology of the Pacific Ocean. 

 Why might not these institutions combine; and, with theaid 

 of tile U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, prosecute this research in a 

 svstematic and comprehensive way, rather than in the present 

 sporadic and disjointed fashion ?=^ Why also might not the 



^ The establishment of the National Eesearch Council during the war 

 was a stop in this direction. 



^ Looking toward such an end, a conference was held at Honolulu in 

 August, 1920, under the auspices of the Bishop Museum, which was 

 founded in 1889 by the late Charles Eeed Bishop of New York, for the 

 study of the natural history and ethnology of the Pacific islands.^ The 

 Museum was a memorial by Mr. Bishop to his wife, who was Princess 

 Bernice I'auahi, great grand-daughter of tlie Moi of Hawaii wlien Cap- 

 tain Cook visited the islands. The Museum is now co-operating with 

 Yale University in the exploration of the Pacific and several other 

 institutions are also interested in the project. 



