Decembes 5, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



511 



are only 6 which at the present time offer a 

 course in general biology/ while among those 

 of class B there are no less than 14 that give 

 such a course. It is thus apparent that, 

 among colleges, the giving of a general biol- 

 ogy course is largely restricted, at the present 

 day, to institutions which do not have dis- 

 tinct departments of botany and zoology. Of 

 the institutions of this character investigated, 

 74 per cent, give such a course, and it is 

 probable that this proportion would be con- 

 siderably higher if the multitudinous smaller 

 institutions not investigated were taken into 

 accoimt. Among the institutions which main- 

 tain distinct departments of botany and zool- 

 ogy, less than 13 per cent, of those investi- 

 gated by questionnaire give such a course, 

 and this proportion doubtless would be con- 

 siderably lower if account were taken of 

 various agricultural colleges and other insti- 

 tutions not included in the canvass. This 

 disparity in itself is significant. But it is 

 even more significant that, as was developed 

 upon investigation, among the 41 institutions 

 in class A which do not at the present time 

 give a course in general biology there are no 

 less than 21 which have given such a course 

 in former years but have abandoned it. In 

 other words, among the institutions included 

 in this category, during the last twenty-five 

 years there has heen a decrease of nearly 80 

 per cent, in the numher which give a course 

 in general biology. 



Some of the questions asked in the ques- 

 tionnaire, together with the expressions of 

 opinion they called forth are as follows: 



1. Is it your opinion that a course should 

 be offered in general biology, complete in 



2 In presenting these figures, no account has been 

 taken of the subject-matter or the mode of presen- 

 tation of these courses. It is important to note, 

 however, that in 2 of the 6 institutions of Class A 

 ^here general biology is still given, the course is 

 virtually half botany, half zoology, being taught 

 conjointly by botanists and zoologists. The same 

 holds true in several of the 14 institutions of class 

 3 which are cited as giving general biology. In 

 3 of the 6 institutions in Class A, referred to above, 

 general biology is placed in a class by itself, not 

 being required as a prerequisite to courses in bot- 

 any or zoology. 



itself, so far as it goes, and necessarily over- 

 lapping more advanced courses in both botany 

 and zoology: a course designed primarily for 

 its educational value to the student who prob- 

 ably will pursue no further work along bio- 

 logical lines? 



Replies. — Botanists : Class A, No (46 :16) ; 

 Class B, Yes (8:3). Zoologists: Class A, Yes 

 (20:14); Class B, Yes (11:0). 



2. If such a course is given, should it be 

 made a prerequisite to more advanced courses 

 in botany and zoology, or should it be treated 

 as an entity in itself and be disregarded in 

 arranging the regular courses of study in 

 botany and zoology. 



Replies. — Botanists : Class A, an entity (36 : 

 15); Class B, an entity (8:4). Zoologists: 

 Class A, an entity (14:12); Class B, a pre- 

 requisite (8:1). 



3. Is it your opinion that some sort of an 

 elementary course in general biology is a 

 desirable prerequisite to all courses in either 

 botany or zoology? Should it be made an 

 obligatory prerequisite ? 



Replies. — ^Botanists: Class A, not obligatory 

 (51:9), and not desirable (47:13); Class B, 

 not obligatory (8:4), and not desirable (7:5). 

 Zoologists : Class A, not obligatory (21 :10), 

 and not desirable (19 :14) ; Class B, both ob- 

 ligatory (8:1) and desirable (9:1). 



4. Do you consider an elementary course in 

 general biology to be superior, from the stand- 

 point of the biological sciences in general, to 

 two virtually independent but consecutively 

 arranged courses : one in elementary botany, 

 given by botanists; the other in elementary 

 zoology, given by zoologists? Do you con- 

 sider it inferior? 



Replies. — Botanists: Class A, biology in- 

 ferior (50:3); Class B, biology inferior (7:4). 

 Zoologists: Class A, biology inferior (17:8); 

 Class B, biology superior (8:0). 



5. Assmning that an elementary course in 

 general biology is to be given, should it be 

 taught by zoologists alone? by botanists 

 alone? or by both zoologists and botanists? 



Replies. — Botanists (a) by both botanists 

 and zoologists, 58; (&) by one teacher, by a 

 biologist, or by one trained in both botany 

 and zoology, 12; (c) immaterial — depends on 



