1900– . Biological Bulletin.
1901– . American Journal of Anatomy.
1904– . Journal of Experimental Zoology.
1905– . Economic Geology.
1906– . Anatomical Record.
1907– . Journal of Economic Entomology.
1911– . Journal of Animal Behavior.
1914– . American Journal of Botany.
1916– . Genetics.
1918– . American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
The result of the whole movement has been of necessity to narrow, little
by little, the sphere of a general scientific periodical such as the
Journal has been from the beginning. The exact change might be studied
in detail by tabulating as to subjects the contents of successive
volumes, decade by decade, from 1870 down. It is sufficient, here,
however, to recognize the general fact that while the number of original
papers published in the periodicals of this country, in 1910, for
example, was very many times what it was in 1825, a large part of these
have naturally found their home in periodicals devoted to the special
subject dealt with in each case. That this movement will continue,
though in lessened degree now that the immediate demand is measurably
satisfied, is to be expected. At the same time it has not seemed wise,
at any time in the past, to formally restrict the pages of the Journal
to any single group of subjects. The future is before us and its
problems will be met as they arise. At the moment, however, there seems
to be still a place for a scientific monthly sufficiently broad to
include original papers of important general bearing even if special in
immediate subject. In this way it would seem that “Silliman’s Journal”
can best continue to meet the ideals of its honored founder, modified as
they must be to meet the change of conditions which a century of
scientific investigation and growth have wrought. Incidentally it is not
out of place to add that a self-supporting, non-subsidized scientific
periodical may hope to find a larger number of subscribers from among
the workers in science and the libraries if it is not too restricted in
scope.
The last subject touched upon introduces the essential matter of
financial support without which no monthly publication can survive. With
respect to the periodicals of recent birth, listed above, it is safe to
say that some form of substantial support or subsidy—often very
generous—is the rule, perhaps the universal one. This has never been the
case with the American Journal. The liberality and broad-minded attitude
of Yale College in the early days, and of the Yale University that has
developed from it, have never been questioned. At the same time the
special conditions have been such as to make it desirable that the
responsibility of meeting the financial requirements should be carried
by the editors-in-chief. At present the Yale Library gives adequate
payment for certain publications received by the Journal in exchange,
though for many years they were given to it as a matter of course, free
of charge. Beyond this there is nothing approaching a subsidy.
The difficulties on the financial side met with by the elder Silliman
have been suggested, although not adequately presented, in the various
statements quoted from early volumes. The same problems in varying
degree have continued for the past sixty years. Since 1914 they have
been seriously aggravated for reasons that need not be enlarged upon.
Prior to that date the subscription list had, for reasons chiefly
involved in the development of special journals, been much smaller than
the number estimated by Silliman, for example, in volume =50= (p. xiv),
although there has been this partial compensation that the considerable
number of well-established libraries on the subscription list has meant
a greater degree of stability and a smaller proportion of bad accounts.
The past four years, however, the Journal, with all similar undertakings
here and elsewhere, has been compelled to bear its share of the burden
of the world war in diminished receipts and greatly increased expenses.
It is gratifying to be able to acknowledge here the generosity of the
authors, or of the laboratories with which they have been connected, in
their willingness not infrequently to give assistance, for example, in
the payment of more or less of the cost of engravings, or in a few
special cases a large portion of the total cost of publication. In this
way the problem of ways and means, constantly before the editor who
bears the sole responsibility, has been simplified.
It should also be stated that as those immediately interested have
looked forward to the present anniversary, it has been with the hope
that this occasion might be an appropriate one for the establishment of
a “Silliman Fund” to commemorate the life and work of Benjamin Silliman.
The income of such a fund would lift from the University the burden that
must unavoidably fall upon it when the responsibility for the conduct of
the Journal can no longer be carried by members of the family including
the editor and—as in years long past—a silent partner whose aid on the
business side has been essential to the efficiency and economy of the
enterprise. Present conditions are not favorable for such a movement,
although something has been already accomplished in the desired
direction. At the present time every patriotic citizen must feel it his
first duty to give his savings as well as his spare income to the
support of the National Government in the world struggle for freedom in
which it is taking part. But, whatever the exact condition of the future
may be, it cannot be questioned that the Journal founded by Benjamin
Silliman in 1818 will survive and will continue to play a vital part in
the support and further development of science.
The present year of 1918 finds the world at large, and with it the world
of science, painfully crushed beneath the overwhelming weight of a world
war of unprecedented severity. The four terrible years now nearly
finished have seen a fearful destruction of life and property which must
have a sad influence on the progress of science for many years to come.
Only in certain restricted lines has there been a partial compensation
in the stimulating influence due to the immediate necessities connected
with the great conflict. One hundred years ago “the reign of war” was
keenly in the mind of the editor in beginning his work, but for him,
happily, the long period of the Napoleonic wars was already in the past,
as also the brief conflict of 1812, in which this country was engaged
and in which Silliman himself played a minor part. We, too, must
believe, no matter how serious the outlook of the present moment, that a
fundamental change will come in the not distant future; the nations of
the world must sooner or later turn once more to peaceful pursuits and
the scientific men of different races must become again not enemies but
brothers engaged in the common cause of uplifting human life. The peace
that we look forward to to-day is not for this country alone, but a
peace which shall be a permanent blessing to the entire world for ages
to come.
NOTE.—The portrait which forms the frontispiece of this volume has been
reproduced from the plate in volume =50= (1847). The original painting
was made by H. Willard in 1835, when Silliman was in Boston engaged in
delivering the Lowell lectures; he was then nearly fifty-six years of
age. The engraving, as he states elsewhere, was made from this painting
for the Yale Literary Magazine, and was published in the number for
December, 1839.
It is interesting to quote the remarks with which the editor introduces
the portrait (=50=, xviii, 1847). He says:
The portrait prefixed to this volume was engraved for a very different
purpose and for others than the patrons of this Journal. It has been
suggested by friends, whose judgment we are accustomed to respect,
that it ought to find a place here, since it is regarded as an
authentic, although, perhaps, a rather austere resemblance. In
yielding to this suggestion, it may be sufficient to quote the
sentiment of Cowper on a similar occasion, who remarked—“that after a
man has, for many years, turned his mind _inside out_ before the
world, it is only affectation to attempt to hide his face.”
_Notes._
Footnote 1:
The statements given are necessarily much condensed, without an
attempt to follow all changes of title; furthermore, the dates of
actual publication for the academies given above are often somewhat
vaguely recorded. For fuller information see Scudder’s “Catalogue of
Scientific Serials, 1633–1876,” Cambridge, 1876; also H. Carrington
Bolton’s “Catalogue of Scientific and Technical Periodicals,
1665–1882” (Smithsonian Institution, 1885). The writer is much
indebted to Mr. C. J. Barr, Assistant Librarian of Yale University
Library, for his valuable assistance in this connection.
Footnote 2:
The following footnote accompanies the opening article of the first
volume of the Journal. “From the MS. papers of the Connecticut
Academy, now published by permission.” Similar notes appear elsewhere.
Ed.
II
A CENTURY OF GEOLOGY.—THE PROGRESS OF HISTORICAL GEOLOGY IN NORTH
AMERICA