I have included among the American titles those published in Europe by residents of America, except when there was reason to believe that they might have been prepared during visits to Europe. I have included papers published in Canada, and one or two from Mexico, but if these were deducted they would not (except in the case of the sponges) materially affect the result. Of course it must be acknowledged that the titles indicate contributions of every size and degree of merit; but as I have looked them over, it has seemed to me that ours were not inferior in quality or size to those of other countries.
The editor of the Popular Science Monthly (March, p. 476) has justly remarked that we ought not to expect to equal the rest of the world in our product; and in his opinion if we contribute one seventh we are doing our share. It will be seen from the above list that we actually are contributing approximately this amount in most of the divisions of zoology, while in some groups the proportion is greater. This conclusion agrees well with the impression gained by the writer through his experience of zoology and zoologists both in England and America.
It may be worth while to add some particulars regarding the workers who represent zoology in America to-day.
General Subject.—The list for 1900 includes 82 workers, and the names of Alexander Agassiz, Calvert, Davenport, B. Dean, Eigenmann, Eisen, Gill, Hyatt, Kingsley, Loeb, Minot, H. F. Osborn, Peckham, Pilsbry and Wilson are as familiar to European zoologists as they are to us. Many of the papers both here and in other groups are the work of the great body of University students, prepared under the guidance of leading zoologists, of whom C. B. Davenport, of Chicago, is especially conspicuous for his large following.
Mammalia.—26 workers, of whom J. A. Allen, D. G. Elliott, C. H. Merriam and H. F. Osborn are perhaps the most widely known. The study of the mammals in this country is being carried on with a zeal and industry which finds no parallel in any previous period; and the careful investigation of the geographical races is giving us material of the greatest value in the study of evolution. The credit for this revival is mainly due to Merriam; and the Europeans, who at first ridiculed his methods, are beginning to follow in his footsteps. American mammalogists have also begun to compete vigorously with Europeans in the study of old-world mammals, and G. S. Miller has even described a number of new ones from Europe.
Birds.—66 workers, including J. A. Allen, F. M. Chapman, E. Coues (now dead), R. Ridgway, R. W. Shufeldt and many others well-known in both hemispheres. We have a first-class journal (The Auk) devoted to birds, together with a number of minor ones.
Reptiles and, Batrachia.—29 workers; the titles including the great work on North American reptiles by the late E. D. Cope. Our principal writer now living is Stejneger of the National Museum.
Fishes.—22 writers; the titles include a part of the great work on the fishes of North America, by Jordan and Evermann. The American fishes have been and are being very thoroughly studied; and Dr. Jordan, with several helpers, is making known the fish-faunæ of Japan and the Hawaiian Islands.
