36 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVI. No. 915 



tween some of those remaining it ceased to 

 exist. I recall, however, with much pleas- 

 ure the meetings that I attended during the 

 years 1876 to 1884, and the opportunity 

 it afforded to become acquainted with the 

 active scientific workers of the state. 

 Professors Calvin, McBride and Hinrichs 

 from the university, Todd from Tabor, 

 Herrick from Grinnell, with Bessey, Pair- 

 child and Macomber of Ames, Putnam of 

 Davenport and Witter of Muscatine were 

 among the active members in attendance at 

 those meetings. It was at one of these 

 early meetings (1876) that my first effort 

 in the line of a scientific contribution was 

 presented and while it appears to have 

 been a very simple and crude affair it nat- 

 urally marked an important step in my 

 own interest in scientific work. I have 

 always felt that it was regrettable that this 

 earlier academy had to be abandoned, and 

 it was not until after several sincere efforts 

 to rejuvenate it that the conclusion was 

 finally reached that this was impossible, 

 and the only course left to organize on a 

 new basis. 



I shall not attempt here a review of the 

 achievements of our academy. Time and 

 the command of the details both forbid 

 and this feature is to receive attention in 

 another part of our program. I wish, how- 

 ever, to revert briefly to the early hopes of 

 the society and to see in what degree its 

 achievements have measured up to those 

 early aspirations. 



In the first annual address before the 

 society, which I may confess here was de- 

 livered before a mere handful of scientific 

 friends, I presented some ideas as to what 

 I conceived to be the opportunity for the 

 society and the lines of work desirable in 

 the state. Digging up this buried and 

 long-forgotten address, I have been inter- 

 ested to see in how many respects this fore- 

 cast has been met and the ideas there ad- 



vocated provided for in one way or another 

 in the state's activities. Not that I would 

 claim any special foresight or prophetic 

 vision in the case nor that this address 

 had any special weight in securing the re- 

 sults, but that it shows in some degree per- 

 haps the sort of hopes and aspirations for 

 which the members of the Academy stood 

 in those early days. 



For example, a geological survey was 

 strongly urged and the organization which 

 soon after followed and the splendid serv- 

 ice of this survey to the state have amply 

 justified the plea. A readjustment of the 

 weather service was suggested and the suc- 

 cessful combination of the state and gov- 

 ernment service which was accomplished a 

 few years later and which has proved one 

 of the most effective in the country, is our 

 proof that the hope was not a vain one nor 

 its accomplishment impracticable. The 

 plea for a state museum for the preserva- 

 tion of our native fauna and flora has been 

 met in part at least by the splendid start 

 made in the collections gathered in the his- 

 torical museum so ably organized by the 

 lamented Charles Aldrich, and many 

 phases of biological investigation have been 

 provided for in the Experiment Station. 



The academy volumes which have been 

 published by the state for a number of 

 years have become a distinct feature of 

 the state's activities and are watched for 

 eagerly each year. The record of achieve- 

 ment which they show embraces so many 

 important facts concerning the natural 

 history, geology and other scientific prob- 

 lems that the scientific literature of the 

 state would seem meager without them. 



One thing then urged and desired by 

 many of the members seems not yet pro- 

 vided for, at least in fact, and that is a 

 biological survey. This was included in 

 the plan for a geological survey, and though 

 it is specified in the act creating the survey 



