May 17, 1918] 



SCIENCE 



479 



Dials, poultry, fish and game due to infes- 

 tation by animal parasites — protozoa, tape- 

 worms, flukes, threadworms, various insect 

 larvae and what not — we can realize that to 

 cope with these pests successfully requires 

 no inconsiderable knowledge of zoological 

 principles and zoological forms. 



Where in science can one find more of 

 thrilling interest than in our quest 

 throughout the animal kingdom for friends 

 which we may pit against our insect and 

 other foes? This setting of one species to 

 prey upon another, as of lady beetle on 

 scale-insect, and the world-wide search for 

 suitable predaceous forms which it in- 

 volves, requires, of course, a thoroughgo- 

 ing understanding of the life relations of 

 animals in general. 



The great field of economic zoologj' is de- 

 manding more and more workers, both in 

 the service of the federal government and 

 that of the various states. Now the call 

 comes for a mammalogist or a practical 

 ornithologist, next for some one to investi- 

 gate an epidemic among fish, then a man to 

 help fight horticultural or agricultural 

 pests, or perhaps the demand is for a pro- 

 tector of forest trees, an inspector of nur- 

 sery stock, a scientifically trained apicul- 

 turist to safeguard and foster the bee-keep- 

 ing interests of the state, and so the list 

 goes on. 



Another phase of applied biology that is 

 attracting much attention to-day is that of 

 genetics as applied to our farm crops and 

 farm animals. The very fact that depart- 

 ments of experimental breeding or genetics 

 are being established in practicallj' all of 

 our agricultural colleges and experiment 

 stations is sufficient commentary on the 

 practical value of this kind of work. 



3. Conservation. — The whole subject of 

 conservation of natural resources is so 

 prominently before us at present that it re- 

 quires but passing mention here. The de- 



pletion of our lakes and streams, the de- 

 struction of our bird life, the extermina- 

 tion of our game, is a story well known to 

 you all. It is obvious that, first of all, those 

 who are to undertake the correction of these 

 evils must be thoroughly informed. In- 

 telligent management of the situation, suit- 

 able regulations and restorations require 

 much knowledge of animal life in general, 

 such as that possessed by well-trained eco- 

 nomic zoologists. Lack of such knowledge 

 is accountable for much of the inadequacy 

 of the measures in vogue in many places 

 to-daj'. 



4. Fisheries. — Again, the practical bear- 

 ing of zoological knowledge upon such in- 

 dustries as our fisheries is patent at first 

 glance. When we consider that one sea- 

 son's catch of salmon will run more than 

 455,000,000 pounds, that the annual j'ield 

 of whitefish is some 75,000,000 pounds, that 

 the catch of herring will total above 3,000,- 

 000,000 individuals, and that the quanti- 

 ties of manj^ other kinds of fish taken run 

 into correspondingly large figures, it is evi- 

 dent that our fisheries are one of our most 

 important sources of food. In dollars the 

 aggregate must be an enormous sum. The 

 Pacific coast catch of salmon alone may in 

 a single season run over $25,000,000. The 

 work being done by the United States Bu- 

 reau of Fisheries with its thirty-six perma- 

 nent hatcheries and nearly one hundred 

 auxiliary stations, together with that of the 

 various State Fish Commissions may legiti- 

 mately be reckoned as economic zoology. 

 There is increasing demand for adequately 

 trained zoologists to enter this practical 

 field. Since such work embraces not only 

 fish, but includes the aiding and controlling 

 of the industries which have to do with such 

 forms as the oyster, the lobster, the shrimp, 

 the crab, the clam, the fresh-water mussel, 

 the sponge and other types, a good founda- 

 tion of zoological knowledge is clearly nee- 



