January 2, 1903.J 



SCIENCE. 



35 



few independent journals for general zoolog- 

 ical papers, such as the American Naturalist ' 

 and the Biological Bulletin; both intended for 

 shorter contributions; and the more recent 

 Journal of Anatomy, which is limited, how- 

 ever, mainly to vertebrate anatomy. Fore- 

 most among the independent journals is the 

 Journal of Morphology. It has done its duty 

 nobly; we are proud of it and ready to main- 

 tain it; but it should have two or three vol- 

 umes a year, instead of a single one, and as 

 many more as may be necessary. 



That these avenues of publication are far 

 from sufficient for the amount of investiga- 

 tion is shown by the fact, already mentioned, 

 that a large number of American papers are 

 being published abroad, and that American 

 editors are obliged to insist upon small volimie 

 of text and paucity of illustrations. Occa- 

 sionally a Maecenas has come forward and 

 made possible the publication of a large work; 

 but obviously investigation cannot depend 

 upon such sporadic aid. Contrast our rela- 

 tively small number of journals with those in 

 Germany. There, in addition to the publica- 

 tions of societies, which are more numerous 

 than our own, and some of them much more 

 sumptuous, are a large number of independent 

 journals: the Anatomischer Anzeiger, Zool- 

 ogischer Anzeiger, Biologisches Centralblatt, 

 and others intended for shorter papers; and 

 for larger monographs the Zeitschrift filr 

 wissenschaftliche Zoologie, Archiv fur mikro- 

 sJcopi.fch:' Anatomie, Morphologisches Jahr- 

 buch, Jena'ische Zeitschrift, Zoologische Jahr- 

 hucher, Anatomische Hefte, Ergehnisse der 

 Anatomie und Entwicklungsgeschichte, Archiv 

 fiir Naturgeschichte, Archiv filr Protisten- 

 kunde, and others. America can make abso- 

 lutely no comparison with that array, which 

 includes only the more notable journals. 

 France and Austria also outdo us in facilities 

 for publication. 



To our shame it must be said that our ave- 

 nues of publication by no means keep pace 

 with the increase in work of investigation. 

 It is not a new fact; it is a case of bringing 

 owls to Athens to recall this state of affairs 

 to the readers of Science. But the condition 

 of apathy that has existed in regard to it 



needs to be replaced by one of activity. There 

 are rich men who can financier our zoological 

 publications if the matter be brought to their 

 attention in the right way; an ample endow- 

 ment fund for large monographs, safeguarded 

 by a competent board of critical editors, is 

 not chimerical, but entirely feasible. The 

 society should feel itself honored by the tender 

 of a good monograph, and not the author by 

 its acceptance for publication; good work 

 should not go a-begging. There should be a 

 concerted attempt to strengthen all the present 

 journals, by increasing already existing publi- 

 cation funds and by multiplying the number 

 of subscribers. Can not the matter be so pre- 

 sented to rich men that they may see an en- 

 dowment fund for publication is of greater 

 service than the founding of a university? 

 Few men are so made that they have so much 

 delight in the discovery itself, that the charm 

 is not enhanced by making it known to others ; 

 obstacles in the way of publication, such as 

 there are to-day without need, may do much 

 to dishearten research. 



One word of warning must be said : we 

 do not need new journals, but a financial 

 strengthening of those that we already have. 

 And because, first, we owe support to the 

 journals that have stood by us; second, be- 

 cause concentration is wiser than extensifica- 

 tion, and, third, because a new journal, whose 

 name has not yet become known, means prac- 

 tical burial for the papers contained in its 

 earlier issues. 



Thos. H. Montgomery, Jr. 



University or Pennsylvania. 



THE BISHOP COLLECTION OF JADE AND 

 HARD-STONE OBJECTS. 

 Heber E. Bishop was born March 2, 1840, 

 at Medford, Mass., and died in New York 

 City, December 10, 1902, at the age of sixty- 

 three years. Mr. Bishop recently presented 

 his famous collection of jade and hard- 

 stone objects to the Metropolitan Museum of 

 Art, New York City, and gave the sum of 

 $55,000 for its installation in suitable cases, 

 to be made in Louis XV. style by Allard, of 

 Paris, one of the leading artisans of France. 



