Editorial. 



Among the various organizations working for the promotion 

 of science, the state academies of science have recently become 

 prominent, particularly in the middle west. The Ohio, Indiana, 

 Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas academies 

 are doing an important and highly valuable work. In most 

 cases their meetings are held at some time during the winter 

 holidays, and they bring together a large proportion of the 

 influential men of science of their respective states. Our coun- 

 try is a large one and to many a scientific worker the pilgrimage 

 eastward to the winter meeting of his special society is some- 

 thing only to be undertaken after careful consideration of ways 

 and means. To such a one the state academy is a real boon, 

 and in any event the coming together of men of scattered but 

 related fields of work is perhaps as productive of good as the 



meeting of specialists alone. 



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The state academy is, however, making a peculiar place for 

 itself aside from serving as a meeting place for various scientific 

 workers. It is rapidly becoming a molder of public opinion 

 on the numerous semi-public scientific questions which are con- 

 stantly springing up. It is the adviser of the legislature in 

 matters of scientific work and its potency in that direction has 

 been instanced in the part taken by the Wisconsin and Iowa 

 academies in securing the legislation necessary for geological 

 and natural history surveys. In several of the states this semi- 

 public position of the academy has been recognized, and the 

 state has undertaken to publish the proceedings. 



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In the recent meetings of the state academies the geologists 

 have as usual taken an active part. The Minnesota meeting, 



