ee. Neer. 
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1884. 
COMMENT AND CRITICISM.. 
Tue modern revolution in biology has made 
it plainer than ever before, that a certain elas- 
ticity of scope, a power of adaptation, should 
belong to scientific foundations. ‘These are 
usually the outgrowth of enthusiasm, which, 
at a white heat, is not always so tempered 
with wisdom as to foresee that the special end 
then to be met may not forever be of para- 
mount importance. It must be some such ex- 
planation as this. which is to be given of the 
state of affairs recently described by Dr. Har- 
rison Allen of the University of Pennsylvania, 
as existing in Philadelphia. In the American 
of Jan. 26, Dr. Allen asserts that the existing 
foundations of Philadelphia are unequal to the 
present emergencies of biological science, and 
urges with much force that ‘‘ an institution for 
the advancement of biological research, which 
will be open to both sexes, is imperatively de- 
manded’’ in that city. 
With the widening of the field of biological 
science, it has come to pass that what we need 
most at the present time is a new order of 
things. Academies and museums we must 
always have; and fortunately, in these re- 
spects, we already equal our transatlantic 
brethren. But that these alone do not cover 
all of the ground, is evident from the follow- 
ing remarks of Dr. Allen, concerning the 
Academy of natural sciences in Philadelphia : 
‘¢ The institution is committed to the task of 
accumulating a reference-library and a muse- 
um, of publishing proceedings and occasional 
memoirs, and affording a reading-room to any 
and all who are in the remotest degree inter- 
ested in natural history, and, to this end, to 
give rudimental instruction at stated intervals 
to miscellaneous gatherings.’’ All this is well, 
except that it ‘is committed’ to this line of 
No. 53. — 1884. 
work; and even this would be highly satisfac- 
tory, if it were not ‘ committed’ to this alone, 
as appears to be the case: for the author con- 
tinues, ‘‘ The representative members of the 
academy have acknowledged that the higher 
education is not within the scope of its work, 
and have uniformly opposed any attempts at 
so changing the policy of the society as to 
admit of any responsibility being unreservedly 
assumed by its scientific men.’’ That this 
view should be entertained by the members of 
organizations instituted long ago, and now 
endowed with a host of venerable traditions, 
is, of course, natural; but it is perfectly plain 
that these alone are no longer sufficient. 
Dr. Allen would supply the deficiency which 
he laments by another foundation, — a biologi- 
eal institute, free from restrictions, liberally 
endowed, and headed by some one of high re- 
pute, qualified especially to inspire and to 
direct research. We see no reason why a plan 
like that proposed should not be an immediate 
and pronounced success, especially in Philadel- 
phia, where science has long been at home, and 
which is so fortunate as to possess in Professor 
Leidy an enthusiastic leader and investiga- 
tor eminently qualified to be the head and 
front of the new enterprise. We should re- 
joice to see some such enterprise begun in 
Philadelphia, particularly if it might enable 
advanced workers to take immediate advan- 
tage of that rich field for zodlogical research in 
our country which is the admiration and envy 
of European zodlogists. To this end the en- 
dowment should be ample, — we believe, con- 
siderably larger than the one hundred thousand 
dollars suggested by Dr. Allen. It should be, 
at the least, sufficient to enable advanced work- 
ers to proceed to points of timely and special 
interest; as, for instance, to the Great Lakes, 
or to the shores of the Gulf, — not to establish 
laboratories, but to pursue certain lines of re- 
search which imperatively require the presence 
