Editorial Comment. 47 
Academies of Science ; so that now there is scarcely a State 
in the Union which has not its organized band of entliusiastic 
laborers in the various scientific fields. These State Acade- 
mies have some advantages over the larger national associa- 
tions, not the least important of which is the fact that at- 
tendance upon their meetings involves less expense of time 
and money: two commodities which the unselfish scientific 
worker can usually illy afford to spare. Some of the best 
work done anywhere is presented at these meetings. Like all 
other truly scientific work it enlarges the domain of human 
knowledge, brings the forces and phenomena of nature more 
directly under human control, and ameliorates in some degree 
the conditions of human existence. The public, which, with- 
out effort on its own part, immediately becomes possessed of 
all the benefits of scientific investigation, owes something to 
these scientific workers. 
A few States discharge, in part, their obligation to the peo- 
ple on the one hand and the scientists on the other by publish- 
ing and distributing the reports of the local Academy. The 
reports of the Kansas Academy have for some years been 
published by the State. Three years ago Iowa began the pub- 
lication of the reports of her Academy. It is to be hoped 
that the same relation between the state organization that 
embodies the highest scientific attainments and the state gov- 
ernment will be established in more and more of the intelligent 
commonwealths of the Union. 
In this connection it is a matter for congratulation to find 
that the members of the Indiana Academy and the more pro- 
gressive members of the recently elected legislature of the 
same State are planning to effect an arrangement whereby the 
work of the Academy may become available for the informa- 
tion of the people at the trifling expense of publication and 
distribution. The Indiana Academy has now been in exist- 
ence some nine years, and in that time has enrolletl among its 
members manj'' workers of more than national prominence. 
Amony these the reader will easily recall Jordan, Coulter,. 
Branner, Mendenhall, Arthur, Noyes, and others no less emi- 
nent. While the Academy, as such, has published little di- 
rectly, its papers have embraced the results of some of the 
best work covered by the period of its existence. Quite re- 
