278 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IV. No. 



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Fig 1. 



and the special societies wliicli have sprung 

 up in consequence. Yet these two diffi- 

 culties are the strongest arguments that can 

 be urged for the necessity of the Associa- 

 tion. The fact that men of science are so 

 widely separated, and have no established 

 center where they are likely to come in 

 contact with each other, makes the annual 

 meetings of the Association essential. The 

 fact that great specialization in science is 

 needful makes it peculiarly important for 

 the sciences to be kept in touch. The 

 sciences are but members of science, which 

 is an organic body. As Aristotle has said, 

 " a hand cut off from the rest of the body is 

 no longer a hand." 



The dispersion of American men of 

 science is inevitable, and is indeed favor- 



able to the advancement and diffusion of 

 science. We can but appeal to all to pro- 

 mote the common welfare by attending the 

 annual meetings even at a great sacrifice 

 of time and money, and try to make the 

 meetings so valuable that none can afford 

 to be absent. In the case of the special 

 societies arrangements can be made, and 

 are being made, by which they will not 

 weaken, but strengthen, the Association. 

 If part of the time of the meeting be 

 given to these societies, subsections being 

 organized to make specialization as com- 

 plete as may be desirable, and the rest 

 of the time be given to joint meetings of 

 several sections and of the entire Associa- 

 tion for the discussion of questions of com- 

 mon interest and great importance, all the 



