584 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VII. No. 174. 



dividual agreement rather than by State 

 action, we may profitably aim both at 

 greater specialization and more intelligent 

 cooperation. When one has made himself 

 a thorough student in any special field it 

 would seem both courteous and expedient 

 for all of us to recognize that field as his, 

 to send him material that falls into our 

 hands, and to cooperate with him in every 

 way in our power. I do not mean, of 

 course, that a summer or two of amateur 

 work constitutes a claim to preempt any 

 special group or subject, nor, on the other 

 hand, that any one should be precluded 

 from doing his utmost in any field what- 

 ever to which his choice may lead him, but 

 that we ought to recognize the necessity of 

 a division of labor, and also the fitness of 

 looking to those who for a score of years or 

 a lifetime have carefully worked some re- 

 stricted field as the natural depository of 

 material, and authorities to whom we may 

 go for help and to whom we may gladly 

 render service in their further studies. 



Lastly, the question of organization— by 

 no means an easy one — is best approached 

 by an attentive study of the recent experi- 

 ence of other Commonwealths. If we were 

 starting without traditions, with the virgin 

 soil of a new territory open to ns, it would, 

 perhaps, be hardlj' possible to devise an 

 organization with a more comprehensive, 

 practical and reasonable working basis 

 than that of the State of Minnesota. But 

 we are not starting that way. Our State 

 Survey has its traditions. "We have several 

 centers of scientific work instead of one 

 and it is inevitable and desirable that, 

 directly or indirectly, they should have a 

 hand in much at least of the scientific work 

 that in the future is undertaken by the State. 

 This condition of affairs would perhaps 

 suggest a form of organization similar to 

 that of Indiana, in which a Biological Sur- 

 vey was inaugurated by the Academy oi 

 Science five years ago. This has since been 



adopted by the State, and is quite distinct 

 from the Geological Survey, though work- 

 ing in entire harmony with it, the State 

 Geologist being an active member of the 

 Academy. " In a very short time," says 

 Professor Stanley Coulter, "the work in 

 this Survey was felt to be of great impor- 

 tance to the State. An application to the 

 Legislature secured an annual appropriation 

 of $600 for the publication of the proceed- 

 ings. The Academy furnishes the material 

 and the editorial supervision without cost 

 to the State. The State, however, prints 

 and provides for the distribution of not less 

 than 1,500 copies annually of the proceed- 

 ings." "We have then, at our door, a suc- 

 cessful solution of the question by a State 

 in which the situation of affairs at the in- 

 auguration of the Biological Survey was 

 nearly identical with that in the State of 

 Michigan at the present time. We can 

 hardly do better than to learn of our neigh- 

 bor and move forward. 



To recapitulate : It has been the purpose 

 of this paper to formulate and emphasize 

 the following facts : 



1. The responsibility of the State for a 

 scientific study of its own natural resources 

 has become fully established by the con- 

 tinuous practice of our own and many 

 other States. 



2. Equallj' well established in theory, and 

 in various States in practice also, is the 

 fact that a Biological or ISTatural History 

 Survey is of as great importance and has 

 as great claims upon the State as a Geo- 

 logical Survey. 



3. The time is favorable in Michigan for 

 for undertaking a ISTatural History Survey ; 

 and the State Academy is the natural source 

 from which the movement should originate. 



4. The Survey should be projected on a 

 broad, liberal and comprehensive plan, but 

 it should include at the outset a specific 

 problem of practical importance and at the 

 same time of scientific interest. 



