480 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. SLVII. No. 1220 



essary for its successful prosecution. In 

 spite of all efforts so far toward regulating 

 seasons of operation and quantities of catch, 

 and notwithstanding much aid by arti- 

 ficial propagation and the control of epi- 

 demic diseases, the supply in every field is 

 diminishing. If we are to strike a balance 

 short of extermination, it is evident that 

 much important investigation remains yet 

 to be done. 



5. As a Practical Foundation for Edu- 

 cation and Philosophy. — ^Animal behavior 

 and comparative psychology constitute the 

 most logical approach to the problems of 

 human psychology. For complex as is the 

 human mind, and artificial as is human so- 

 ciety, it has at last been recognized that hu- 

 man processes, mental, neural or vegeta- 

 tive, are only special cases of the more gen- 

 eralized processes of lower animals. The 

 fact is coming to be more and more appreci- 

 ated that biological researches, biological 

 methods and biological principles can be 

 utilized to a much greater extent in solving 

 the problems of psychology, child study, 

 pedagogy, sociology, philosophy and ethics 

 than they have been in the past. A thor- 

 ough course in zoology, together with a 

 good digest of the evidences and the fac- 

 tors of organic evolution, a review of our 

 present knowledge of the principles of 

 heredity, and an understanding of the re- 

 cent work in animal behavior, would seem 

 well nigh indispensable for balance and 

 perspective in the fields of psychology, edu- 

 cation and philosophy. 



6. Eugenics. — Still another field which is 

 of the greatest importance to human wel- 

 fare, that of eugenics, is fundamentally 

 linked with a knowledge of zoological prin- 

 ciples. Practical eugenics, a subject upon 

 which the very perpetuation of our na- 

 tional life depends, consists of the attempt 

 to better the human race innately by an in- 

 telligent attitude toward marriage. And 



the kejTiote to the intelligence demanded in 

 this connection is knowledge of the laws of 

 heredity. 



Since it is with the lower forms of life 

 that we must do our experimenting to es- 

 tablish and test out these laws, and since a 

 comprehension of all that is implied in he- 

 redity and its converse, variation, necessi- 

 tates an understanding of fundamental 

 principles that can be attained only 

 through acquaintance with a considerable 

 range of animal life, a preliminary training 

 in general zoology becomes the soundest 

 method of approach to this important field. 

 A knowledge of different modes of life and 

 development, and an understanding of the 

 causes for the decay and extinction of 

 races of animals, sheds direct light upon 

 the present and the future of the human 

 race, and should be the possession of every 

 one who would see eugenics in its true rela- 

 tions. 



7. PuMic Support of Economic Meas- 

 ures. — Lastly, I would urge, from the 

 purely utilitarian standpoint if you please, 

 the necessity of some knowledge of animal 

 life and animal forms, and of their relation 

 to human life and problems, on the part of 

 the general public. The miaintenance of 

 regulations for sanitation, for the conserva- 

 tion of natural resources and for similar 

 undertakings, must be in large part a mat- 

 ter of intelligent cooperation of the public. 

 This means that the public must be made to 

 see the purpose of our endeavors and to 

 understand the facts and principles upon 

 ,which such cooperation is based. Before 

 the average citizen will respect and pro- 

 mote our general economic regulations he 

 must understand why restrictions on 

 hunting and fishing are desirable, why pol- 

 lution of water supplies is dangerous, why 

 food-inspection, health-inspection, vaccina- 

 tion and quarantine are necessary, why he 

 should approve of federal or state appro- 



