42 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIV. No. 1385 



ican biologists in the preservation of natural 

 conditions. This society, with its special 

 committee, would doubtless expect to continue 

 actively in the field, even if the administrative 

 and coordinating functions should be largely 

 handed over to another body. The actual 

 relations betwen the two must be left to the 

 future to decide. It is entirely probable that 

 an amicable and satisfactory solution will be 

 reached when the problem presents itself. 



In the meantime, this committee proposes 

 to seek the supjwrt of various other organi- 

 zations which may be interested in achieving 

 the same ends. The present writer has under- 

 taken to solicit the coojjeration of some of 

 our principal scientific societies, museums, uni- 

 versities and research institutions. Individual 

 letters will doubtless be sent to the officers of 

 many of these organizations in due time. Mat- 

 ters will be greatly expedited, however, if such 

 officers will take the initiative into their own 

 hands and will communicate with the commit- 

 tee as to what assistance they personally, or 

 the organizations which they represent, are 

 prepared to render. 



The assistance might be of various sorts. 

 (1) It might take the form of a mere endorse- 

 ment or pledge of moral support to the Eco- 

 logical Society's conservation activities. Such 

 an endorsement, particularly if published in 

 one of the scientific journals, would give to 

 these activities a certain degi-ee of publicity, 

 as well as an added importance in tJie eyes of 

 many persons. Some recent resolutions of the 

 American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, the American Society of Zoologists 

 and the Botanical Society of America are 

 cases in point.- Unfortunately, however, most 

 of our national scientific societies have thus 

 far shown no interest in the conservation of 

 nature. The officers of one leading biological 

 society decided a year ago that the subject 

 was not germane to the purposes of their or- 

 ganization, and a resolution which had been 

 drafted by one of its members was not even 

 brought to a vote. 



(2) Some of these societies might well be 

 expected to go much further than voting a 



2 Science, January 7 and January 28, 1921. 



mere cut-and-dried endorsement of conserva- 

 tion activities. Why should not occasional 

 pajDers, lectures or even symposia in this field 

 be regarded as appropriate material for their 

 programs ? Many of the data which are made 

 use of in the campaign for the preservation of 

 natural conditions are likewise of high scien- 

 tific interest. Various results of disturbing 

 the balance of nature might be mentioned in 

 this connection. 



(3) Advice would be welcomed as to lines 

 of activity which the committee might profit- 

 ably undertake. Suggestions as to possible 

 methods of " organizing " the various scien- 

 tific interests are to be included here. 



(4) Financial assistance is needed, even for 

 this committee's present limited activities. 

 The suggestion has been made that some of 

 the scientific societies might be willing to 

 contribute a certain fraction of their annual 

 dues to the Ecological Society for the purpose 

 of supporting its conservation activities. An 

 appeal has already been made to the National 

 Research Council for a grant for this purpose. 



As an aid in the promotion of these ends 

 it has been proposed that the various scien- 

 tific and research organizations so disposed 

 should form some sort of a loose federation or 

 association of " societies interested in the 

 preservation of natural conditions." This 

 would be likely to promote the interchange of 

 ideas, and effectiveness of action, where action 

 seemed called for. The constituent societies 

 would presumably appoint delegates to the 

 meetings of this federation ; these delegates be- 

 ing such of their members as have shown the 

 most active interest in conservation matters. 

 Such a federation would naturally have some 

 organic relation to the Ecological Society's 

 committee. Its efforts, at present, might be 

 effective in several directions: publicity and 

 education, endorsement of or opposition to 

 proposed legislation, actual investigations of 

 specific cases in which emergency measures 

 seem to be necessary, and perhaps some others. 



The writer would welcome opinions from 

 the officers of these societies as to the desir- 

 ability of forming such a federation. He 

 would also greatly appreciate any suggestions 



