THE WEST-AMEKICAN SCIENTIST. 



Special izat'on. 



There once was a science called "Natu- 

 ral Philosophy", which held in itself all the 

 learning that applied to physical facts. 

 By the beginning of this century this sci- 

 ence was divided into physics and natural 

 history. These have in turn been since di- 

 vided into a dozen named branches each, 

 and there are now at least thirty well de- 

 fined sciences. This progressive division 

 of sciences causes a division of labor among 

 the able men who labor to solve the prob- 

 lems of nature, causing specialists to spring 

 up who devote themselves to a particular- 

 ly limited field. The advantage of this di- 

 vision of lahor is an open question, but it 

 is certainly prolific in results which could 

 not well be obtained otherwise. The world 

 is now of a mind to pay more of its re- 

 wards for the least bit of special or pecu- 

 liar knowledge than for the widest com- 

 mand of varied learning and directs stu- 

 dents in a thousand ways, not only to 

 "study what you most affect," but "effect 

 that study altogether, know the least thing 

 that can be known as no one else kuows it, 

 and leave the universe to look after itself." 



This plan, however, limits the world to 

 its present knowledge regarding the broad- 

 er and more important problems of science 

 and strengthens the naturally weak bound- 

 ary lines placed by nature throughout the 

 organic creation. It is a question worthy 

 of consideration whether we may not profit- 

 ably turn away a part of the talent and 

 genius which go to the work of discovery 

 to the wider task of comprehension; 

 whether the life of Humboldt and the life 

 of Pasteur are not equally fit goals for the 

 student of nature. The specialist in bot- 

 any is scarce able to recognize the beauti- 

 ful scenery or the varied tints exhibited in 

 the insect world, and an enthusiast is blind 

 to the broad view of nature spread out be- 

 fore him, and till naturalists recognize this 

 evil we cannot hope for a second Linnaeus, 

 Cuvier or DeCandolle.— [In part selected 

 from "Science." 



Books and Papers. 



Science: An illustrated weekly journal 

 devoted to the diffusion of scientific news, 

 with discussions, book notices, correspond- 

 ence, etc. Terms, $5.00 per year. Ad- 

 dress the publisher at 4 Bond Street, New 

 York. 



Botanical Gazette; Devoted strictly to 

 botanical science. Terms, $1.00 per year. 

 John M. Coulter, editor, Crawfordsville, 

 Ind. A sixteen page monthly. 



Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club; 

 A monthly journal, $1.00 per year. W. 

 R. Gerard, editor, Gl Clinton Place, New 

 York. 



Papilio; A monthly journal devoted ex- 

 clusively to lepidoptera. $2.00 per year. 

 E. M. Aaron, editor, Philadelphia. 



The Young Mineralogist and Antiqua- 

 rian; A neat, amateur monthly, published 

 by T. H. Wise, Wheaton, III., at 75 cents 

 per annum. 



Botany of California; A standard work 

 by Prof. Sereno Watson, uniform with the 

 publications of the Geological Survey of 

 California, in 2 vols. 



Synoptical Flora of North America; by 

 Asa Gray, L. L. D. Part I, 1876; Part II, 

 1884. These two volumes comprise the 

 Gamopetalous orders, and form the stand- 

 ard work on American botany north of 

 Mexico. Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co., 

 New York. 



Structural and Systematic Conchology; 

 This is the most complete work on niollus- 

 ca generally accessible to amateurs. In 3 

 vols., published in 4 editions by the au- 

 thor, Geo. W. Tryon, Jr., Academy of Nat- 

 ural Sciences, Philadelphia. 



Southern and Lower California Flora; A 

 list of the flowering plants aud ferns, ly 

 C. R. Orcutt; in press, price 25 cents. 



Common Sea-shells of California; De- 

 scribing 100 common species, illustrated. 

 By Josiah Keep, price $1.00. 



