THE 



NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



DEVOTED PRIMARILY TO ALL SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF NATURE IN 

 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



Published monthly, except June, July and August. Subscriptions price, including mem- 

 bership in the American Nature Study Society, $1.00 per year (nine issues). Canadian post- 

 age, 10 cents extra, foreign postage, 20 cents extra. 



Txr\l\f\rfii-nt Pl ease note date of expiration of your subscription on the label of the 

 AlAiporid.il L wrapper. Subscriptions must be paid in advance to comply with postal 

 requirements. Subscriptions and advertisements should be sent to The Comstock Publishing 

 Co., Ithaca, N. Y . Manuscripts for Publications and Books to be Reviewed should be sent 

 to the editor. 



Editorial 



Not enough has been said of the spiritual value of meetings of 

 scientific societies. The incentive to greater work and the mental 

 stimulation that comes from seeing and hearing of the work of 

 others in the same field are well recognized and primarily form the 

 reasons for the establishment of such societies. But there is 

 another side even more important and whoever misses it misses the 

 best of it, and that is the sympathetic side, the bond which unites 

 the experiences of two people or of many; the bond that comes 

 from the consciousness that here we are in a company with others 

 who are travelling our own road, knowing the obstacles under foot 

 and comprehending the wide outlook above and on either side. 

 Here are those who can grasp our hand in a fellowship which is true 

 companionship, those who can suggest helps to overcome and 

 plans for avoidance of the difficulties which beset us. 



Never have we felt this to be more true than at the St. Louis 

 meeting of the Nature-Study Society. There were many strangers 

 present whose names we did not know and whose friendly faces 

 were new to us, but we knew they were our fellow travellers over 

 the Nature-Study road and their presence wrought for courage. 

 There were also present those whom we had seen and known before 

 and those of whom we had heard and not seen and their presence 

 gave spiritual uplift. There is surely a subtle freemasonry among 

 Nature-lovers that establishes companionship and warms the heart. 



83 



