84 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1282 



in some cases the local governments could be 

 induced to set tliem aside as reservations if tlie 

 reasons for it were made clear. 



Such islands as those here referred to, do 

 not however have a sufficienit proportion of in- 

 habitants with scientific interests and with the 

 means or enterprise to take any effective steps 

 toward preserving their native plants or ani- 

 mals, nor do they appreciate their unique char- 

 acter, or fully realize that the things they see 

 about them all the time are found nowhere else 

 in the world. The initiative, encouragement, 

 and no doubt some money (it would in many 

 cases not take a great deal) must come from 

 outside. This is not a matter of local interest 

 only, it concerns nature students, zoologists, 

 botanists and foresters throughout the world, 

 particularly those interested in these sciences 

 from an ecological point of view. 



There never has been a time when interna- 

 tional jealousies and mistrust and obstinate 

 conservatism have so nearly disappeared from 

 among the nations holding colonial possessions 

 as they have to-day. The international co- 

 operation of scientific societies and of the local 

 and general governments necessary to carry on 

 such work is not nearly so far outside the 

 range of probability now as it would have 

 seemed a few years ago. It seems a favorable 

 time for some of our larger and more influen- 

 tial scienitific associations and institutions to 

 miake a beginning by the appointment of a 

 oom-mittee to communicate with others that 

 might be interested, and discover what support 

 and encouragement such a movement could 

 hope for. The need is urgent, every year's de- 

 lay will increase the difficulty and greatly di- 

 minish the results that it will be possible to 

 achieve. 



WiLLARD G. Van ISTame 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 



THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY 

 OF PHILADELPHIA 



An article in the Pennsylvania Gazette re- 

 ports that for the past ten years a small group 

 of men, interested in some aspects of anthro- 

 pology, have held meetings (informal at first, 

 before 1914) for the interchange of ideas and 



the stimulation of interest. The nucleus of 

 this group was certain members of the faculty 

 of the University of Pennsylvania and of the 

 staff of the tmiversity museum, whose work 

 lay in this field. The remainder were stu- 

 dents and " laymen " who had some interest in 

 anthropological studies, and who served to 

 leaven the whole and widen the usefulness of 

 associating together. 



In the beginning no attempt was made to 

 keep any definite object in view nor to expect 

 anything more than that sociability would 

 grow out of these gatherings. But when a 

 man came home, after a bit of interesting 

 field-work, one of the first things he did was 

 to look up the next meeting of his friends 

 and co-workers, to talk over his trip and per- 

 haps to display photographs and specimens. 

 In this way there arose evening meetings de- 

 voted to particular topics, with " speakers," 

 meetings which were informal, but which 

 tended toward a definite purpose. The cafe 

 in which these friends usually met gradually 

 became a sort of headquarters for the enter- 

 tainment of anthropologists, visiting field- 

 workers and members of societies from other 

 cities. 



In March, 1914, a serious attempt was made 

 to increase the usefulness of these informal 

 gatherings by adopting a regular date and 

 place of meeting. The first step in this direc- 

 tion was to elect a president, a secretary- 

 treasurer and an executive committee. Thus 

 formed, and under the name of The Anthro- 

 pological Society of Philadelphia, those inter- 

 ested began to hold regular meetings and to 

 hear prepared papers and discussions once 

 each month during the winter. The social 

 character of the meetings was kept as much as 

 possible and all formality was avoided, just 

 sufficient, indeed, to preserve a natural co- 

 hesion of interest and companionship. 



During the past three years funds have been 

 appropriated by the provost through Dean 

 Ames, of the university to pay the expenses 

 of non-resident speakers to address the stu- 

 dents of the department of anthropology; per- 

 mission was obtained, through the efforts of 

 Professor Frank G. Speach, of the department. 



