42 Recent Literature. [January, 
on the part of existing bodies, as to which of them becomes the 
Academy of Sciences of the State where it is situated. Of course 
such an institution is yet impossible in many of the States, where 
science is only represented by amateurs, or not at all; but in a 
number of them, real academies could be organized to-day. The 
present policy of electing gentlemen to full privileges in scientific 
bodies for $5 or $10 a year, must soon terminate the existence of 
such bodies as scientific, from natural causes; the property being 
thus slowly, but surely, alienated from the uses for which it was 
originally designed. The only American societies which are so 
constituted as to be self-protective in this respect, so far as we are 
at present informed, are the National Academy of Sciences, the 
Boston Society of Natural History, and the New York Academy 
“of Sciences. The men devoted to original research in Philadel- 
phia, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis, are becoming numerous, 
and may be expected to follow early in the footsteps of their 
more enterprising predecessors. 
—— The scientifico-literary critic of our esteemed contemporary 
the New York 7zmes, has recently given his readers his views as 
to the AMERICAN NATURALIST, some of which are wise and some 
otherwise. There is a flavor about some of his remarks 
which reminds us of the funeral of a late scientific journal in 
another city, at which our critic may have been a mourner. He 
gives us a favorable opportunity of making a statement regarding: 
the policy of the Naturatist. He observes, “ what it needs is a 
catholic management which would print articles even if the theo- 
ries presented could not receive the entire assent of the editors,” 
etc. As the Naturatist has eight editors, more than any other 
scientific journal in the world, of whom five are acknowledged 
experts in original scientific research, an article must be very 
eccentric in its politics not to meet the approval of some of them. | 
As a matter of fact, the Narurauist will always print articles 
within its scope, which are accurate as to matter of fact, and in- _ 
telligent in treatment, no matter what the theories of the authors 
may be. . 
wh) Soa SOP Seta eae ae tes 
Yn ike a 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Tue Narturatists’ Directory For 1880,.—We have before us 
the last edition of this once useful work. It is difficult to imagine 
what possible object the editor had in view in the arrangement 0 
the contents. We'cannot see how it can be of the least use to” 
any one, as the names are arranged by States, and there is no 
alphabetical or subject index. A very considerable portion 
of the volume is occupied with advertisements, many of them 
1 The Naturalists’ Directory for 1880. Edited by S. E. Cassino. Boston, S. E- 
Cassino, Publisher 
