. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. Science; Natural history; Natural history -- California. . f f I » I ' NAVICULA CRABO It is prol)ably true that the natural .sciences are ahogether neglected by a majority of the people. A few of us dabble a little here and there, but most people who are really interested do not progress very far because of various handicaps, among which may be mentioned lack of time, lack of enthusiasm, and the lack of fundamental education so necessary to satisfactory work in an}- line of advanced thought. 1'he most attractive subjects are those that
. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. Science; Natural history; Natural history -- California. . f f I » I ' NAVICULA CRABO It is prol)ably true that the natural .sciences are ahogether neglected by a majority of the people. A few of us dabble a little here and there, but most people who are really interested do not progress very far because of various handicaps, among which may be mentioned lack of time, lack of enthusiasm, and the lack of fundamental education so necessary to satisfactory work in an}- line of advanced thought. 1'he most attractive subjects are those that reveal to us much of the beauty in nature with but little expenditure of thought and energy. For example, the study of butterflies interests and at- tracts us because tliey are very beautiful and are to secure. The same is true of the flowering plants, shells and similar forms. It is the toiler in undiscovered fields wlio needs skill and entluisiasm. Those de])artments of science in which only a few are inter- ested and ill which \\'e must work almost alone rc(|uire workers who are willing to delve without comi)ensati;)n other than that derived from the knowledge gained. There are some such scien- tists, and there will be more of them. Hntomology is being studied quite carefully by a few in Southern California. Conchology has its able representatives here and botany, as related to the higher forms, holds the attention of some of our ablest men and women. I am glad that all of this is true ; but 1 wish to call the atten- tion of lovers of nature to a group of plants little known to most of us—the diatoms. Here we have a wide field for the stud)- of tiny forms whose beauty is not excelled by plants of higher organization. The variety of form of diatoms and the wonderful beauty of their sculpture makes them objects of interest to all wdio love the harmony of symmetry. Some of the largest diatoms may be as large as the head of a pin, but most of them are exceedingly small
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