Fkbeuaey 14, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



249 



trated in the sole interest of the unit. The 

 career of the Society from 1883 up to the 

 present seems to have been normal, fully in 

 accord with the times, and beyond re- 

 proach; its present function as a nucleus 

 for special societies— i. e., subtribes, in the 

 analogy with primitive socialry — would also 

 seem to be ideal; yet the question arises, 

 May not the natu.ralists assume a larger 

 role on the stage of American science ? And 

 this in turn evokes another: If so, how? 



In seeking answers to these queries, the 

 mind turns at once to broader affiliations 

 and stronger afSnities than those already 

 developed within the Society of Natural- 

 ists; and among the first of the possible 

 affines, thought rests on the American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science, 

 that older organization of which the 

 younger body is, in some measure, the recip- 

 rocal if not the antithesis. It is to be re- 

 membered that the Association, also, has 

 reached the stage of fission, or of reintegra- 

 tion on a higher plane, the stage being 

 marked partly by increasing autonomy of 

 the component sections, partly by the 

 affiliation of several special societies, each 

 a power in its specialty and all an immeas- 

 urable force in shaping the science of a 

 nation. Originally an agency of diffusion 

 and direct advancement combined, the As- 

 sociation for a time was mainly devoted to 

 the former function ; of late, thanks largely 

 to the influence of the affiliated societies, 

 it seems to be resuming the original func- 

 tion of direct advancement through its own 

 activity and through fostering kindred 

 societies, so that its present aims are so 

 nearly akin to those of the Naturalists that 

 the two organizations might well cooperate, 

 or even confederate, for mutual advantage 

 and the common benefit of American 

 science. The possible modes of cooperation, 

 and the possible lines of confederation, are 

 too many for present discussion ; but it may 

 be held, in the light of analogy mth primi- 



tive socialry as in that of current experi- 

 ence, that neither cooperation nor confed- 

 eration need involve loss of autonomy, or 

 efficiency, or dignity, on the part of either 

 organization. 



Out of the many possible lines of action 

 leading to coalition between the two most 

 vigorous and virile of our voluntary scien- 

 tific societies, one or two may be urged: 

 The American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science has already decided 

 to hold a winter meeting in Washington 

 during the Convocation Week of 1902-3, 

 and it has just been decided by this body 

 to hold its annual meeting at the same time 

 and place. Now it is suggested that the 

 American Society of Naturalists take the 

 requisite steps toward admitting represent- 

 atives of the Association to its Council, 

 and toward securing representation in the 

 Coujicil of the Association, preferably at 

 this approaching meeting, and if not then, 

 at the earliest possible occasion; it is also 

 suggested that this Society take early steps 

 toward enlarging and strengthening its 

 Council in such manner that the adminis- 

 trative bodies of the two organizations may 

 attain parity of power. It need hardly be 

 said that the joint meeting would serve, 

 and better serve, every purpose of separate 

 meetings ; and it need hardly be added that 

 one effect of the joint meeting would be to 

 increase common membership in the two 

 organizations, and thus to strengthen the 

 already strong bonds of common interest. 



In another place* it was pointed out that 

 a need of American science to-day is a dele- 

 gate organization — a Senate of Science — in 

 which our many and constantly multiply- 

 ing local and special voluntary associations 

 of scientific men might be equitably repre- 

 sented in a body not too large and un- 

 \vieldy for effective work in coordinating 

 lines of research and keeping in touch with 

 national progress; and it was suggested 



♦ Science, N. S., Vol. XIV., 1901, pp. 277-280. 



