April 29, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



583 



me,to the answer that the interest of one is in 

 the end the interest of all. Scientific investi- 

 gation, in Michigan at least, is to a great 

 extent dependent on 'iieans provided by the 

 people of the Stat:^, who are paying, gener- 

 ally with cheerfulness, sometimes with more 

 or less questioning, for the equipment of the 

 laboratories in which we work. Such is our 

 dependence, let us frankly acknowledge it, 

 and hold ourselves ready to make such re- 

 turn as we are able. Ou the other hand, 

 the people of the State are dependent — 

 more so, perhaps, than is sometimes admit- 

 ted — on trained scientific men for the work- 

 ing-out of nearly every problem affecting 

 their material interests. Tliere is not a 

 practical man in Michigan competent alone 

 to successfully work out the problem as to 

 just what the State ought to do in the pres- 

 ervation and profitable management of its 

 forests. Here the services of trained scien- 

 tific experts are indispensable, and fortu- 

 nately this University was, eight or ten 

 years ago, engaged in training the man 

 who is now fitted to render this service and 

 stands ready to do so. 



In the second place, a full recognition of 

 material obligation and the taking-up of 

 just such practical problems as this will not 

 hinder, but will pave the way for, the more 

 extended investigation of the natural history 

 of our State that we all hope to see ac- 

 complished. It is, I am convinced, the 

 part of wisdom to begin our Natural His- 

 tory Survey of Michigan with this great 

 and pressing problem ; but no one could 

 think for a moment that it should end there. 

 Here, as elsewhere, means are certain to be 

 forthcoming as it becomes evident that they 

 are deserved, and I believe that we may to- 

 day begin to plan for just such a compre- 

 hensive biological survej' of the State as 

 would satisfy the most extended and exact- 

 ing scientific requirements, assured that in 

 due time we shall have full means for its 

 accomplishment. 



I should hardly think of attempting off- 

 hand to draw up a requisition or to unfold 

 a comprehensive plan for such a survey. 

 But there are certain principles, or facts, 

 that through their inherent reasonableness 

 must, I think, command general assent and 

 upon which we may proceed until we can 

 see further. 



First, there ought to be within the State 

 a collection of books of such extent that 

 the literature of any branch of natural 

 history may be within the reach of special- 

 ists, without the necessity of borrowing or 

 undertaking long and expensive journej'S. 

 Such collections of books are a necessity 

 and the development of scientific work in 

 Michigan will be advanced or hindered ac- 

 cording as they are or are not provided. 

 We can not have these books in a day ; but 

 we can and ought to make their necessity 

 known, and to use every legitimate means 

 to secure them. The State of Minnesota, 

 in connection with its Natural History 

 Survey, appropriates year after year what 

 would seem to us a munificent sum for the 

 purchase of books that go into the Univer- 

 sity library and there become permanently 

 available for purposes of research. 



Secondlj', there ought to be provision for 

 the publication, by the State, of all material 

 that has assumed sufiSciently complete 

 shape to be an actual contribution to our 

 knowledge of the various plants and ani- 

 mals within our borders. Not a little val- 

 uable material, to the knowledge of the 

 writer, lies packed away in the laboratories 

 of the State that should be published as a 

 part of its Natural History Survey, that 

 with the assurance of publication in cred- 

 itable form would be steadily growing, in- 

 stead of remaining at a stand-still. It is, 

 I think, the duty of our Academy to press 

 this upon the attention of the State govern- 

 ment until the want is supplied. 



In the third place, passing now to mat- 

 ters that may be determined largely by In- 



