72 



been amazed at the large development of this phase of emotional 

 insanity, commonly masquerading under the name of 'subtle 

 thinking.' Perhaps the name is expressive enough, if it means 

 thinking without any material for thought. And is not this 

 one great danger of our educational schemes, when special stress 

 is laid upon training? There is danger of setting to work a mental 

 machine without giving it suitable material upon which it may 

 operate, and it reacts upon itself, resulting in a sort of mental 

 chaos. An active mind, turned in upon itself, without any 

 valuable objective material, certainly can never teach any very 

 reliable results. It is the trained scientific spirit which recognizes 

 that it is dangerous to stray away very far from the facts, and 

 that the farther one strays away the more dangerous it becomes, 

 and almost inevitably leads to self-deception. 



This Professor Coulter feels is the attitude of mind that sci- 

 entific training is contributing to the service of mankind — con- 

 tributing as an ideal which is already yielding tremendous 

 results, and -as a force accumulating momentum for a larger 

 expression. 



In response to appeals from various scientific bodies, the Smith- 

 sonian Institution has concluded the preparations for a biological 

 survey of the Panama Canal Zone. Friends of the Institution 

 have contributed funds for the expenses of the investigators, 

 as it is felt a properly conducted survey would yield important 

 scientific results. " It is known that a certain number of animals 

 and plants in the streams on the Atlantic side are different from 

 those of the Pacific side, but as no exact biological survey has 

 ever been undertaken, the extent and magnitude of these differ- 

 ences' have yet to be learned. It is also of the utmost importance 

 to determine exactly the geographical distribution of the various 

 organisms inhabiting those waters, as the Isthmus is one of the 

 routes by which ^nimals and plants of South America have en- 

 tered North America and vice versa. When the canal is completed 

 the organisms of the various watersheds will be offered a ready 

 means of mingling together, the natural distinctions now existing 

 will be obliterated, and the data for a true understanding of 

 the fauna and flora placed forever out of reach." 



