36 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
Published on the tenth of each month except July and 
August. 
The official organ of the Wisconsin and Illinois Audu¬ 
bon Societies. 
Twenty=five cents per year. Single Copies S cents 
All communications should be sent to Mr. T. R. Moyle, 
Appleton, Wis. 
The American Nature-Study Society. 
All students of nature and particularly 
teachers of nature-study will be inter- 
ested in the proposed organization of the 
American Nature-Study Society. The 
need of such an organization has been 
felt for some time, audit has found voice 
in The Nature-Study Review. This little 
monthly, now in its third volume, was 
launched by a few enthusiastic spirits 
under the able editorship ofProfessor M. 
A. Bigelow, of the Teachers College, Co¬ 
lumbia University, New York. The edi¬ 
torial committee comprises also L. H. 
Bailey, C. F. Hodge, H. W. Fairbanks, 
William Lochhead, and J. F. Woodhull. 
The journal has been highly successful; 
it contains suggestions on the practical 
side for teachers, while it keeps its read¬ 
ers informed of the progress of the move¬ 
ment in America and stimulates thought 
by its discussions of leading questions. 
In the March issue of the Review (which 
will be sent free on application to the 
editor) the plan for the American Nature- 
Study Society was set forth; all who are 
interested are invited to send in sugges¬ 
tions and to help to secure as soon as 
possible one thousand members. The 
September issue announced that al¬ 
though this number has not yet been se¬ 
cured, the interest manifested has seemed 
to justify the making of some definite 
plans for its complete organization. 
This, it is hoped, may accomplished in 
December at the time of the meeting of 
the national scientific societies in Chi¬ 
cago. Nominations for an organizing 
committee of ten have been made by 
members as their names have come in; 
among those receiving the highest num¬ 
ber of votes are the names of Professor 
L. H. Bailey and Professor C. F. Hodge. 
The Review will become the official organ, 
and the annual membership fee of one 
dollar will secure this. 
The following are the reasons given 
for the organization of nature-study 
workers: “(1) in order to get more 
closely in touch with each other’s work; 
(2) in order to get more educators and 
scientific men into touch with nature 
study movement, and (3) in order to 
demonstrate the extent and strength to 
which the nature-studv movement has 
j 
already attained.” It is probable that 
state societies will be formed to bring 
members into closer touch. Professor 
Bigelow says, “Another fact indicating 
need of organization is that few 7 people 
realize how widespread the nature-studv 
movement has become. Many people, 
especially those from abroad, seem to 
think that nature-study is chiefly an in¬ 
teresting experiment under the direction 
of the former students of three or four 
colleges which have given special atten¬ 
tion to the subject. Fven principals of 
certain training schools have made re¬ 
marks showing that they have failed to 
grasp the idea that nature-study is no 
longer limited to the few localities made 
well known bv some of the pioneer w ? ork. 
In all such cases, and my experience is 
that the} 7 are far Irom rare, the influence 
of a strong organization wrnuld certainly 
be of great value in advancing nature- 
study.” R. M. 
