Abstract

Some Responsibilities of Botanical Science" is the subject of Prof. B. E. Livingston's address to the Botany Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting at Baltimore last December (Science, February 28, 1919). The work of botanical science is at present carried on by a sort of guerrilla warfare, each man for himself; for a planned and pro- ductive campaign co-operation is necessary. The objects to be attained are twofold. The first is the conservation of knowledge already attained. The existing means for presenting botanical abstracts and resumes are merely makeshifts; there is need for a national or international institute for the furnishing of biblio- graphical information on request. Such an institute would be a great undertaking, with a permanent staff of departmental heads and a corps of bibliographical assistants; but it would seek the co-operation of all men of science. It would avoid enormous waste of time and energy on the part of scientific workers and re- search institutions, and give congenial employment to many who wish to serve in scientific work, but may not find their best places as teachers or research workers.

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