912 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL. No. 1043 



particularly true in biology, where Amer- 

 ican investigators are producing a great 

 body of results of the first importance. 

 Thus the Proceedings of the Academy, if 

 properly distributed, might be made to 

 serve the very useful purpose of bringing 

 the work of a large number of investigators 

 to the attention of scholars abroad. But 

 in order to preserve all interests, and to 

 interfere in the least degree with present 

 plans of publication, the Proceedings 

 should not be designed to occupy such a 

 place as the special journals adequately fill. 

 [The chief advantage of the Proceedings 

 would not be the same in all departments of 

 science. In mathematics, where the exist- 

 ing journals are greatly overcrowded, 

 prompt publication of the condensed re- 

 sults of new research would be heartily wel- 

 comed. The same thing is true in botany 

 and in many other subjects. In fact, im- 

 proved means of prompt publication would 

 be generally appreciated by Academy mem- 

 bers. In biology, as already remarked, the 

 great number of special journals prevents 

 many of them from reaching European 

 laboratories, where American research is 

 frequently overlooked as a consequence. 

 In astronomy and astrophysics, which have 

 fewer journals, the circulation of the chief 

 American journals is large, and their con- 

 tents reach all investigators abroad. But 

 the practise of publishing separate series 

 of circulars or bulletins, which has been 

 adopted by many American observatories, 

 confines the circulation of their papers to 

 the limited number of astronomers and ob- 

 servatories on their mailing lists. If brief 

 accounts of the broader aspects of these in- 

 vestigations were printed by the Academy, 

 they would be useful to astronomers making 

 a general survey of progress in their own 

 field. But they would be even more service- 

 able to the mathematician, physicist, 

 meteorologist, chemist, geologist or other 



investigator who may find information of 

 direct or suggestive value in the results of 

 astronomical research. Conversely, even 

 those astronomers who keep in touch with 

 progress in mathematics or physics can not 

 also examine the numerous journals of 

 chemistry, geology and other subjects which 

 contain results applicable in their own 

 work. It will thus be seen that the Acad- 

 emy could perform an important service in 

 its special province of correlating knowl- 

 edge by publishing papers covering the 

 whole range of science. 



The value of the Proceedings in strength- 

 ening the position of American science at 

 home and abroad shoiild not be overlooked. 

 The rapid progress of American research 

 in a single field may be known to the Euro- 

 pean specialist, but he may not realize that 

 similar advances in other departments have 

 raised American science to a new level. 

 Recognition of this fact is desirable, not 

 for the gratification of national pride, but 

 because the international influence of 

 America in science will grow with its pres- 

 tige. The combination of effort which the 

 Proceedings would represent, and the dem- 

 onstration they would afford of American 

 activity in research, are factors of real 

 significance in securing that recognition 

 and standing, both at home and abroad, 

 which is needed to accelerate future prog- 

 ress.] 



To accomplish the desired result, it would 

 seem that the Proceedings should be inter- 

 mediate in character between the Comptes 

 Bendus of the Paris Academy and the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Royal Society. Papers read 

 before the Paris Academy on Monday are 

 printed and issued in the Comptes Bendus 

 on the following Saturday — a record for 

 speed which we should not expect to rival. 

 Such accelerated publication, while it 

 doubtless possesses certain advantages, 

 renders impossible that more leisurely 



