968 
pendentinstitutions. Hach university, mu- 
seum, survey, observatory, botanical garden, 
laboratory and the like is a unit, requiring 
Each city should 
have a local academy, or alliance of socie- 
its special organization. 
ties, which in its field should perform most 
of the functions that we have been consider- 
ing. Similar academies, or groups of so- 
cieties, are needed for a State or region. 
National societies are required for each 
But what should be the national 
organization that will bring all the local 
science. 
and special societies together, and accom- 
plish for the nation and for science as a 
whole what these institutions and societies 
do for a locality or a single science? We 
have at present the National Academy of 
Sciences and the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science, both of which 
have toa certain extent filled these require- 
ments, but only in a partial and imperfect 
way. The Academy is legally the adviser 
of the government, the Association has 
brought into its organization a majority of 
the scientific men and many of the scientific 
societies of the country ; but it seems prob- 
able that neither a small self-perpetuating 
body of eminent men nor a plebiscite of all 
scientific men will perform the duties re- 
quired. Representative government, in 
spite of its partial failures, is the kind of 
government under which we should live 
We find this most nearly 
embodied in the council of the American 
and must live. 
Association. This council might be made 
the representative body for science in Amer- 
ica. 
If it be asked what the American Asso- 
ciation and its council should do to assume 
SCIENCE. 
[N. 8. Vou. XIII. No. 338. 
the position assigned to them, the reply 
may fortunately be made: Let them con- 
tinue the work that they have already 
begun.. The whole matter is one of atti- 
tude and spirit, rather than of constitution 
and by-laws. Let all scientific men be fel- 
lows of the Association, make the members. 
representative of the intelligence of the _ 
country, unite all scientific societies and 
institutions in the organization of the As- 
sociation, make the meetings important and 
interesting, let the council assume and de- 
serve authority. 
While the position of the Association 
must depend chiefly on natural fitness and 
development and on the spirit and charac- 
ter of its members, there are certain changes 
in organization that deserve consideration. 
We shall suggest some modifications which 
appear to be either desirable at present or 
objects to be kept in view. 
Affiliated societies should be represented 
on the council, and all scientific societies, 
whether national or local, should be affili- 
ated with the Association. The number of 
representatives allowed from each society 
should be proportional to the number of 
members of the society among the fellows 
of the Association. For example, each in- 
stitution having ten fellows might be al- 
lowed a representative and an additional 
representative for each additional twenty- 
five fellows. This plan includes the repre- 
sentation of local academies, universities, 
government departments, etc., on the coun- 
cil, but might begin with the societies. 
meeting with the Association, in accordance. 
with an amendment to the constitution 
now pending. It might be well for the 
