May, 1905 | THE FUTURE PROBLEMS AND AIMS OF ORNITHOLOGY 
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it yet, unfortunately! On the contrary, we must specialize still more than before, 
but the specialization must take place along entirely different lines from what it 
has been before, and at the same time the connection with the whole must not be 
lost. We have now specialists whose specially is North American birds, or Florida 
birds, or New England owls, or Californian gulls; some whose business it is to 
split up all the fine races within a group of limited extent, either zoologically or 
geographically; others who make a specialty of eggs, of feather tracts, of bones, etc. 
A new line of cleavage is distinctly visible in zoology; the so-called systematic 
zoologist has already parted company from the histologist, and embryologist. The 
mere classifier and describer will soon be distanced. Birds in the future will be 
studied in the light of other sciences, such as geography and physiography, and in 
the light of study of other animals or of plants. Meteorology and biometric meth- 
ods, paleontology, and cartography will all claim attenton of the future ornithologists. 
This new tendency was forcibly impressed upon meat the last meeting of the 
American Association for the Advancement of Science in Philadelphia (Dec. 1904). 
Of course I belong to Section F, Zoology; but though I am by no means an ex- 
treme specialist, there was but one paper that had any relation to the work I am 
doing, and the author of this paper afterwards told me that had he known of a 
more appreciative audience, he would have presented it there. If he had accom- 
panied me, he would have found it. I turned to the Association of Arne. lean 
Geographers just then forming. There I found congenial spirits. There was a 
man whose specialty is fresh water mussels, another whose object of study is cer- 
tain orders of insects, another who was a botanist, and so forth. But I listened 
with interest to all they had to say, and they repaid me the same compliment be- 
cause we were all interested in the same problem, to the solution of which we each 
contributed our mite. There was the geologist who discussed the past history of 
the ground, where our animals or plants are now located, and there was the ex- 
plorer and the physiographer who described the prominent features of the country 
where the objects of our study live; and we began to see the connection between 
the past and present. A zoologist read a paper, a physiographer and a paleonto- 
logist discussed it! 
I do not believe that I am wrong, when pointing in this direction for the guid- 
ance of the future ornithologist. He has the whole world before him to reconquer;,, 
he need not lose heart for fear of having nothing to do. But he must study, he 
must study hard and many things. He must study under competent teachers, and 
be satisfied to be guided some time before he can stand on his own legs. The 
time of the autodidact is past. Now, as before, there will continue to be two kinds 
of scientific ornithologists, one who spends most of his time in the field, and one 
who spends most of his time in the closet; but the distinction must gradually cease 
to one of reproach. In the future no ornithologist who confines himself to the 
closet will ever rise to the highest point in his science. By this I do not mean 
that he must necessarily spend his time in studying birds’ habits, song, etc., but he 
must know the habitat and station of the birds he deals with in all their aspects 
from actual personal observations in the field, or he will fail to properly interpret 
their interrelations to their surroundings in space and time. I cannot imagine the 
future ornithologist or zoologist, working exclusively in his closet any more than 
the geologist, and for the same reason. 
After this it is not difficult to specify the qualifications the future ornitholog- 
ist must possess. Apart from aptitude for scientific pursuit, he must be well 
grounded in the fundamental principles of biology. He should have an extensive 
knowledge of general zoology; a not too elementary course in geology, especially 
