244 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XV. Ko. 372. 



enough for us to do to make the perpetua- 

 tion of our Society desirable? I think 

 clearly, Yes. Even if we could do only 

 what we are now doing— viz., keep up our 

 annual discussion, our dinner and our pres- 

 idential address— I should say we had in 

 these purposes justification for our con- 

 tinued life. But I believe that we can take 

 up a new task of affiliation which will solve 

 one of the problems which we must solve. 

 It is not enough to have great national 

 meetings. AVe need besides less formal and 

 more local meetings. The great distances 

 in our country render this important. I 

 should like, therefore, to suggest for your 

 consideration an entirely new plan, viz., 

 that of forming a series of local organiza- 

 tions or branches of our Society. There 

 might be one such organization for example 

 for New England, another for New York, a 

 third for the Middle Atlantic States, a 

 fourth for the Central States and a fifth 

 for the Pacific coast. Bach one of these 

 branches could hold meetings for the pres- 

 entation of scientific papers and invite to 

 the meetings all the local members of 

 the societies now affiliated with us. These 

 meetings might last one or two days and 

 could be held at a time of year when they 

 would not in any way compete with the 

 larger national meetings during Convoca- 

 tion Week. In that way the freedom of the 

 individual societies affiliated with ourselves 

 will be in no wise affected. Competition 

 between ourselves and the American Asso- 

 ciation will be entirely avoided and the 

 demand, which is real, earnest and well 

 founded, for local meetings, will be 

 answered. It would, moreover, contribute 

 usefully towards the general organization 

 of science throughout the country. That 

 organization I believe to be of the greatest 

 importance. If we look back on the history 

 of science in this country we should prob- 

 ablj^ all agree that the most important step 

 ever taken to promote it has been the estab- 



lishment of what are commonly called post- 

 graduate courses at our principal universi- 

 ties ; because these courses offer varied and 

 excellent opportunities to train young men 

 seeking discipline in science in order to be- 

 come scientific investigators. But may we 

 not say that to form a wide-reaching or- 

 ganization of science, national in extent and 

 power, is a yet more important step 

 destined to rank among the great achieve- 

 ments of the century upon which we are 

 just entering? We have learned from our 

 political organizations that numerous inde- 

 pendent states and a central government 

 work harmoniously and increase by their 

 cooperation and power the welfare of all. 

 So in our organization of science let us 

 profit by this political example, and thougli 

 we favor the organization and the strength- 

 ening of the central power, let us never 

 forget that every body of men which joins 

 in the organization must also be free. If 

 we make ' freedom and affiliation ' our 

 watchwords, we shall escape many perils 

 and conquer success.* 



Chaeles Sedgwick Minot. 



I SHALL speak to the following motion: 

 Resolved, that the American Society of 

 Naturalists authorizes the naturalists of 

 the Central and Western States to organize 

 a branch of that Society to meet at Chicago. 

 That a committee of three be appointed by 

 the president to arrange the details of the 

 relation of the Eastern and Chicago 

 branches and to provide for a joint meeting 

 of the two branches at intervals of two or 

 three years alternately in eastern and cen- 

 tral territory. I shall not take time to 

 argue the importance of annual meetings 



* The original address was delivered from 

 brief notes, with no thought of publication. 

 ^In writing the article I found it impossible to 

 recall the original discourse accurately, but I 

 think the substance of it is unchanged except 

 that certain parts of momentary or local interest 

 have been omitted. C. S. M. 



