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corporation, while Peruvian planters obtain the most valuable fertilizer at a price which our American farmers would consider astonishingly low.

Now, in the words of Captain Cuttle, "The bearings of this observation lays in the application on it."

In the first place, one of the essential principles upon which this scheme of protection is founded is that of closure of breeding grounds in rotation for periods of years. This principle must be distinguished from the common measures of protection through closed seasons or the establishment of permanent sanctuaries. While the latter is in many cases an ideal method of protecting animals, it is of course impracticable of application in the case of guano birds and many objects of chase or fishery.

Closed seasons of a few months produce good results in many cases, but such a principle of protection has the defect (often unappreciated) of being based upon an assumption that nothing essential to reproduction takes place except when the reproductive activities are externally evident. It seems sometimes to be assumed that destruction or disturbance of an animal before it spawns makes no difference. The closed season of months has, to be sure, its proper place, and is often the only feasible measure.

The second application is that the plan of temporary sanctuaries, as applied to guanoproducing birds, has evidently worked and produced the desired results in high degree. The annual production has been trebled in ten years. Why then can not the plan be more generally applied in the case of natural objects requiring protection? It seems to be based upon a proper appreciation of physiological, "social" and ecological conditions as affecting successful reproduction. This is the principle, by the way, which for eight years has been advocated for the preservation of the fresh-water mussel resources of our interior streams, but which is as yet being given effect in a small way in only two states.

A final application to be made in this connection is not the least in importance. The

enforcement of any b protection of guano or twelve years ago might fairly have co foreign obligations w culties of adjustmen demands so exceedin as to make temporary vating to Peruvian political conditions s the service of the pr future. How do su with those which con fresh-water mussels or oyster industry in th example? Surely, as priately suggested, cr the patriotic and far-s who accepted the pro did what was evidently

When we consider measures cited were fully executed in one south of the equator pause"

-or else it sho pausing and proceed to of our own natural re

BUREAU OF FISHERIES

NATIONAL TEMPE TIFIC INVE WE have too long thought to the tempe atmosphere. It shoul to guard the voice of the unnatural accent was true of literature before the Phi Beta Cambridge his celebra American Scholar" is investigation in the have listened too long t Europe." We have too lems from European i too little allowed nature tions of us. These pro too much in the spir

and effective plan of was confronted ten obstacles which one -ed insurmountable: meir customary diff tional agricultural yearly production ilment most aggraculturists; restive s usually demand Father than of the ficulties compare the protection of -velopment of the apeake Bay, for rphy has appro due primarily to itizens of Peru #sacrifices and to be done. e conservation Otly and fruitSister republics to "give us late us to stop e care of some

- E. COKER

IN SCIEN-
ONS

ur scientific
European
necessary
sts against
rot. What
erson read
Society at
on "The
E scientific
tes. "We

- muses of
our prob-
and have

own quese treated can (and

especially of German) investigation. Too little have we allowed rein to our own individuality in the choice of subject and the development of method.

Let it be granted that the people of Europe have attacked the problems and developed the methods best suited to their needs and their temperament. This seems to be true. The several important groups, following their own native inclinations, have marvelously succeeded in organizing nature in useful ways and have made conquests of the forces of the environment never approached by any other peoples. They have acted upon the realization that the best truth which any mind or any nation can create or discover is that which comes to it in the course of spontaneous activity. When we so proceed that our thinking is a natural expression of our native bent our discoveries will become typical of ourselves and we shall render into the whole worth of mankind a good which we can not attain by following the lead of another people. "He is great who is what he is from nature and who never reminds us of others."

Let us not run after the ways of another people. Let us also not run from the ways of another people. Let us follow our own ideals; let us develop our own spirit in the search for truth; let us be just to our own temperament. Our civilization is based on our European origin. We can not escape that fact. There is no need to try to run away from the nature which we have inherited. But there is a fundamental necessity that our thought shall not try to follow in the way pointed out by European thinkers of to-day; just as it is important that Europe shall continue to think in her own way and not seek to be guided by us.

We are a combination of social units which have not existed together before and are not now to be found together elsewhere. In some measure and in some phases we have developed our own national intellectual spirit; the present progress in American poetry, for instance, is not inspired by European models but is a native product arising from the basic foundation inherited from our European an

cestry. But in scientific matters we a great tendency to attack proble European investigation rather than our own more spontaneous activity a that truth which our temperament possible for us to discover more e any other people.

Our attitude in this respect is str trasted with that of the great r Europe. They have proceeded in their own. Though science is cos the scientific work of the greater Europe is national in spirit. Not ing the close interactions of the mo and the systematic exchange of knowledge, national traits find sp expression in the researches of countries.

British science is characterize spontaneity and individuality of th with consequent large power in fu conceptions, so that a greater m dominant ideas in the science of t back to them perhaps than to tho other people. They do not cong distinct schools and institutions. not localized in definite centers. N well-trained intellectual workers ex them. No compact body of pupils velops the work and ideas of ar The self-reliant strength of natu dominates the scientific spirit. T have produced a disproportionate new ideas and great departures. no university eager to nurse and d talent, so that the new thinker b voted to nature. He lives close to of things and nature rewards his ence of other thinkers.

German science is remarkable f ganization of the investigators and ing wealth of detail in developing quences of fundamental ideas once and in preparing indexes and sun the current literature of discovery. versities of Germany form the most istic institution of the German afford the most perfect expressi essential character, especially as r

entific work. These universities form one of
the greatest intellectual agencies of the modern
world. Among them arose the now universal
habit of looking upon private study and re-
search as
a necessary qualification of the
teacher. They teach not only knowledge but
also research. To them largely is due the
fact that German investigators stand under
the generalship of a few great leading minds.
They, more than any other single force,
should be credited with the fact that so many
persons in Germany are devoted to the pure
ideal of knowledge for its own sake.

It is true that this ideal had been somewhat dimmed, even before the Great War, by the incessant demands of utilitarian motives; but it is to be hoped that it will again come into the ascendency and once more renew faith in the importance of the more ideal values.

There is danger that the ideal of knowledge for its own sake may dull the sense of values and lead one to a practise of treating trivial things with the same care as the matters of great moment. Indeed it seems that the Germany of the past has suffered in this respect.

In no country has so much time and power been frittered away in following phantoms, and in systematizing empty notions, as in the Land of the Idea.

Emerson somewhere employs a beautiful fable of antiquity, pregnant with rich truth, that "the Gods in the beginning divided Man into men that he might be more helpful to himself, just as the hand was divided into fingers the better to answer its end." In our day Man has been broken into smaller pieces than ever before to make the men of the generation, a process which has been carried further in Germany perhaps than anywhere else. We have specialists instead of Man specializing. We have scientists instead of Man investigating nature. We go much further than that; we have the geologist, the biologist, the entomologist instead of Man intensely studying earth formations, living things, insects. Instead of having the mere specialist of a particular sort we should have Man investigating

nature, having spe confining attention subject matter not eminently Man. T possess himself and general activity of m return from his of other laborers." minutely divided a spilled into drops t up again.

The more univers national temperamer to single out its characteristics are than highly develope portance. Whether some other it is not characteristics of Fre or German, when one the present generatio one looks into the hi he will have no occa way in which the sc fested itself in Fra easily recognized tofinish, sense of prop careful emphasis of th are characteristic of Intimately connected acting with it to the fact that France has countries to populariz must be recognized a able and powerful sti the scientific spirit.

In the first decades home of the scientifi Paris was the capital truth. Interest in s creation was widespr The spirit of literat the spirit of exact res place in the same cre this union of elements other countries, there literary excellence in s abides to the present small way to the con

> to be sure and rticular range of for him, but predual, in order to his work in the 'must sometimes to embrace all ld not be so d out as to be not be gathered

haracter of the
e difficult it is

aits. Striking ily recognized of central imfact or from determine the as of British s attention to cers. But if past century bt as to the Et has maniwer can be egance and importance. tters, which he French and inter

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every one must feel in reading a French scientific book or memoir.

The profound use of analytical methods and the reduction of scientific truth to rigorous yet pleasing mathematical form is characteristic of the French. The mechanical view of nature arose among them. They were the first to set out to see how far science and reasoning can go while disregarding the principle of individuality. Among them science first became "truly conscious of its true methods, its usefulness, its most becoming style, its inherent dignity, its past errors, its present triumphs, the endless career which lies before it, and the limits which it can not transgress."

Of the three countries which have led in scientific development it seems to be the impartial verdict of history that we owe to France the largest number of works perfect in form and substance and classical for all time; that the greatest bulk of scientific work, at least in more recent decades, has been produced in Germany; but that the new ideas which have fructified science, in earlier times and also in the nineteenth century, have arisen more frequently in Great Britain than in any other country.

Science is cosmopolitan and flourishes under many skies. But the spirit of scientific work is national. Each great people manifest their own characteristics. They develop truth by methods influenced by the peculiar bias native to their temperament and institutions. No prime contributions to knowledge have ever been made repeatedly through a long period of time by any people other than those who labored from a center situated at the heart of their life and social organization. The deep-lying unknown things in nature can be found out only by one who looks upon her with eyes of his own. A people who seek guidance outside of themselves will never be led in the paths of high achievement. Only during their minority can they afford to lean upon the strength of others more powerful than they. On coming of age it is indispensable that they shall work from a center of their own.

American science should now begin to

render to the science of other cou measure of support commensurate w which it receives in turn in the mu operation of all in the discovery of t Up to the present we in America developed either a national spirit or a tradition in scientific investigation. was not native to our soil and was n duced by the first settlers. Along other portions of our European civ our scientific attitude has come to u heritance. But we have now come to when American scientists may begin ceed from an intellectual center of th and make contributions in a chara spirit to the intellectual worth of r R. D. CARM

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

SCIENTIFIC EVENTS

THE PROPOSED NEW CHALLENG
EXPEDITION

Nature announces that the counci British Association has reluctantly that the organization of a new Challe pedition, such as was suggested by I W. A. Herdman in his presidential a the association at Cardiff last Augus adequate scale can not be profitably I at the present time.

In accordance with the resolution I the general committee at the Cardiff the council appointed a special ocean committee to inquire into the detail suggested project and to prepare a statement as to the need for such an tion and its probable scale, scope, eq and cost. This memorandum has 1 completed, and is available for use occasion arises; but in view of the demand for economy in all national ture, and after consultation with tru authorities, both scientific and admin the council at a recent meeting a report by the general officers to the ef while retaining the scheme under c tion, no further action should be ta circumstances seem more favorable f expenditure upon such an undertaki

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THE American Engineering Council of the Federated American Engineering Societies will seek at the opening of the special session of Congress to have the Nolan Patent Office Bill passed.

Failure of the measure in the last session is attributed to the presence of the Federal Trade Commission section which Edwin J. Prindle, of New York, chairman of the American Engineering Council's Patents Committee in a report to L. W. Wallace, executive secretary of the council, asserts should not be enacted into law in any form even as a separate bill. The committee reports:

The bill for the imperatively necessary relief of the Patent Office, after passing the House of Representatives with satisfactory provisions for the Patent Office, failed to pass the Senate at the session just closed with those same provisions, solely because of the presence in it of an unrelated section known as the Federal Trade Commission Section.

The former opposition in the Senate to the Patent Office relief and that which forced the unacceptable reductions in salaries and numbers of examiners and clerks (which the Conference Committee was persuaded to set aside) is largely and seemingly almost wholly overcome. But the oppo

sition in the Senate to the Federal Trade Section is determined and has expressed an intention to prevent the Patent Office from getting the desired relief unless the Federal Trade Section is removed from the bill.

More than preventing the Patent Office relief, however, the Federal Trade Section is believed to be a dangerous measure in itself. It provides that the Federal Trade Commission may receive assignments of and administer inventions and pat

ents from governmenta ing wedge for further Trade Commission to governmental inventors

An exclusive license at least for a few ye undertake the almost ment expense, and the surely be charged wi such a license. In ord the Trade Commission v a most unfortunate ac The industries would cl ernment employees fea their secrets or unpaten by the industries woul that government emplo cilities, might reach the

THE AMERICAN PHI THE American Ph hold its general mee society on Independer 22 and 23. The prog ing discussions:

The Application of the

ometer to certain A To astrophysical probl SELL, Ph.D., profes ton University. To the measurement SCHLESINGER, Ph.D. Observatory.

To the determinatio JOHN A. MILLER, P servatory, Swarthmo Atomic structure: DAVID WEBSTER, prof

Stanford University WILLIAM DUANE, dire Harvard Medical Sc BERGEN DAVIS, profes University.

On Friday evening t in the hall of the Hist sylvania, when Dr. Ja fessor of Egyptology University of Chicago, ing the trail of our ea trated by lantern slide

Award will be made M. Phillips Prize of tw

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