360 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LVI, No. 1448 



The oonerete application of these principles 

 in the development of a constitution was one 

 of the principal tasks of the committee. How 

 to use such organizations as the National Ke- 

 search Council and the American Association 

 most effectively and in turn how to be of the 

 greatest service to those organizations in the 

 furtherance of the interests of biological sci- 

 ence were problems that elicited much discus- 

 sion. The committee believes that a satisfac- 

 tory solution of these problems is contained in 

 the constitution given below. This instrument 

 will be submitted to the various societies for 

 ratification or rejection at their annual meet- 

 ings late in 1922, and it is important that all 

 members of the biological societies which have 

 been concerned in formulating plans of federa- 

 tion should become familiar with its provisions. 

 The proposed constitution of the federation is 

 as follows : 



Proposed Constitution 

 for a 



Federa/tion of American Biological Societies 

 Article I. Preamble 



In view of the existence of many biological 

 sooieties in America, each preoccupied with its 

 own special affairs and problems, in view of the 

 assured interest of all these societies in the 

 broader and more general aspects of the promo- 

 tion of biological science, and especially in view 

 of the need for improved means of contact and 

 mutual aid between the pure and the applied 

 branches of biological science, this Federation is 

 established to facilitate constructive and mutu- 

 ally advantageous cooperation among the several 

 special biological societies and to promote the 

 major interests of biology. 



Article II. Name 



The name of this organization shall be the 

 Federation of American Biological Societies. 

 Article III. Objects 



The objects of the Federation shall be to 

 stimulate investigation in the field of biology, 

 to organize and .promote the interests of biblio- 

 graphy and publication, to . deal with questions 

 of general interest in the field of biology, and in 

 general to promote the solution of those broad 

 problems which the specialized societies are not 

 in a position to support effectively, and to do 

 anj'thing else which may serve these ends. 

 Article IV. Membership 



Section 1. The membership of the Federa- 

 tion shall be by societies and not by indi^^duals. 



Section 2. The original members of the Federa- 

 tion shall be all those organizations that were 

 concerned in the Preliminary Conference on 

 Federation held in Washington, D. C, April 23, 

 1922, provided that each member society shall 

 officially accept membership in the Federation. 



Section 3. Any other organization working in 

 the field of biology may become a member of 

 the Federation upon invitation bj the Council of 

 the Federation and acceptance of membership. 



Section 4. Any Society may tei-minate its 

 membership in the Federation by official notifica- 

 tion to the Council and completion of its obliga- 

 tions to the Federation. 



Article V. Delimitation of Authority 



The constituent societies" of this Federation re- 

 tain their complete autonomj'. 



Article VI. Council 



Section 1. The management of the Federation 

 shall be vested in a body to be kaown as the 

 Council of the Federation of American Biological 

 Societies. Each original member society shall be 

 entitled to be represented in the Council by two 

 representatives that the society may officially 

 designate. 



Section 2. The Council shall establish its own 

 organization and enact its own rules and by-laws. 



Section 3. The Council shall establish regula- 

 tions governing the admission of additional or- 

 ganizations to membership in the Federation and 

 shall determine their representation in the Coun- 

 cil. 



Section 4. The Council shall receive and decide 

 questions referred to it by member societies; it 

 may also independently promote the objects of 

 the Federation. 



Section 5. The Council shall act in close co- 

 operation with existing agencies, such as the 

 American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science and the National Research Council. 



Section 6. The Council shall appoint an Execu- 

 tive Committee, which shall have such duties and 

 powers as the Council may pre.scribe. 



Section 7. The Council shall appoint a Com- 

 mittee on Bibliography and Publication, with 

 snch duties and powers as the Council may pre- 

 scribe. This committee shall act in cooperation 

 with similar committees that may be appointed 

 bj' the National Eesearch Council and the Ameri- 

 can Association for the Advancement of Science. 



Section 8. The Council shall arrange places 

 and times for its own meetings. The Council 

 shall assist the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science in making arrangements 

 for meetings of any member society or group of 



