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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1298 



personal activity and interest in community 

 affairs. This interest might he manifested by 

 public and private discussion of public prob- 

 lems and community affairs. In such dis- 

 cussions the naturalist is peculiarly equipped 

 for seeing the necessity of complete analysis 

 of a question since he himseK is repeatedly 

 confronted with complex situations due to a 

 multitude of factors, all of which must be 

 more or less accurately evaluated. He is also 

 able to see the need of giving time for a 

 situation to develop itself since he is so 

 familiar with the fact that Nature is un- 

 hurried in her operations whether their dur- 

 ation be seconds or ages. He is able to see 

 the need of caution and accuracy in procedure 

 since he is so frequently confronted with 

 errors due to the impossibility of eliminating 

 chance combinations. That is to say, the 

 naturalist is able to bring to the consideration 

 of a problem those methods which tend to 

 accuracy of judgment and clarity of vision. 

 Certainly any individual who can do this in 

 a community should exert a valuable influence. 

 Since the members of a highly specialized 

 community have a marked tendency to become 

 narrow, one-sided, and so, to a considerable 

 degree, abnormal, it is very necessary to have 

 some influence in the other direction. This, 

 too, the naturalist may be able to supply to a 

 great extent. Popular talks on natural phe- 

 nomena in connection with schools, churches 

 or other organizations may be made of value. 

 Pictures may be largely used for this pur- 

 pose Ordinary conversations may often be 

 turned to advantage along this line. Simple 

 exhibits of various sorts may be possible. 

 Any method which will induce even super- 

 ficial acquaintance of the general public with 

 the great world of life is of distinct advantage 

 from the standpoint of the human community 

 however it may be from the scientific stand- 

 point. Note particularly in this connection 

 that the beneficial effect is reciprocal, i. e., 

 the narrow are broadened, the one-sided more 

 rounded and the abnormal made more nearly 

 normal on the one hand, while on the other 

 hand the naturalist is stimulated, pleased and 

 supported in his work, both financially and 

 morally in a way not before possible. 



Since there may be some who are stiU 

 wondering what is the object of this paper I 

 may call attention to the fact that we have 

 to-day some very strong evidence pointing 

 to the view that the day of individualism is 

 rapidly passing and that the day of collec- 

 tivism (of some sort) comes on apace. It is no 

 more permissible for the man of science to 

 shut himself up in his own interests and to 

 assume an air of lofty indifference to the aims 

 and aspirations of other people than it is for 

 the business or professional man to do so. 

 It is time for the man of science to take some 

 cognizance of public affairs and to assume an 

 active part therein, however small, no matter 

 how much he may be tempted to go into his 

 laboratory or his woods and fields and to 

 ignore the general interests of hmnanity. It 

 seems to me not at all beneath the dignity of 

 such a body as this to consider ways and 

 means of getting in closer touch with the 

 people about us, of arousing their interest in 

 us and our interest in them, and thus con- 

 tributing our share toward the harmonizing 

 of society as a whole. I feel certain that 

 there are hundreds of people in this state 

 who ought to have some interest in some or 

 all of the things which we as individuals are 

 doing. I think our state would be a better 

 state if there were some understanding of that 

 sort. It seems to me that we are too much 

 disposed to let the especially able men like 

 Dr. Jordan, Dr. Ritter, Dr. Evermann and 

 others do what they can and to feel that we 

 ourselves are thereby relieved of obligation. 

 I do not think that is a correct attitude. If 

 we want to have the general public respond 

 as it should to the call for progress in sci- 

 entific matters, we must each be willing to 

 sacrifice some prejudice, some leisure and 

 some effort for the good of the cause. I 

 think too that we should collectively look 

 over the field and consider the possibility of 

 instituting or extending some activity that 

 will help. "What I have said simply indicates 

 some of the lines along which I think activity 

 might possibly be directed. 



In conclusion, let me say that I think the 

 naturalist ought to fill in his community a 

 place of influence or of leadership, that be- 



