THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



285 



a society assume the character of pop- 

 ular lectures, but it might interfere 

 with the proper work of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. Professor Boas proposes that 

 a national society be established in co- 

 operation with the American Associa- 

 tion, and the council of the association 

 has appointed a committee to consider 

 the plan. It contemplates all mem- 

 bers of the Anthropological Society 

 being members of the American Asso- 

 ciation, assuming for the special so- 

 ciety the conduct of the special papers 

 and discussions, and leaving to the 

 general association such steps as may 

 be desirable for the popularization of 

 the science. This plan appears to be 

 in the line of development. We need 

 in each center societies composed of 

 specialists in a given department. 

 These societies should unite, on the 

 one hand, to form a local academy and 

 on the other to form a national scien- 

 tific society. Then, in addition to these 

 special students, it is important that 

 all those who wish to ally themselves 

 with science and to assist in its devel- 

 opment should be permitted to become 

 members both of the local academy 

 and of the national association. 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY'S CON- 

 VERSAZIONE. 



It is an open question whether it is 

 for the interests of science that there 

 should be in a country a number of 

 small centers or one chief capital 

 where its intellectual life is gathered. 

 The civilizations of Greece, Italy and 

 Germany seem to have been advanced 

 by their competing cities and princi- 

 palities, whereas France and England 

 seem to have profited by the great con- 

 centration in Paris and in London. 

 The Paris Academy of Sciences and the 

 London Royal Society occupy positions 

 unrivaled by the societies of other 

 countries; and there are certainly very 

 great advantages in the intimate union 

 of all the men of science of a country 

 in a single society. These advantages 



are illustrated by the conversaziones 

 annually held by the Royal Society at 

 which are exhibited the scientific ad- 

 vances of the year. A similar exhibi- 

 tion and reception was for several 

 years held by the New York Academy 

 of Sciences, and it is to be hoped that 

 this may be resumed. It can not be 

 expected, however, that the scientific 

 advances made in a single city of the 

 United States will compare with those 

 of London which represent in large 

 measure those of the whole kingdom. 



It appears from the descriptive cata- 

 logue that there were fifty-six exhibits 

 at the conversazione of the Royal So- 

 ciety held on May 14. They all repre- 

 sent valuable scientific advances, but 

 without any really noteworthy discov- 

 ery, so that it is somewhat difficult to 

 select any of the exhibits for special 

 mention. The new fields opened up 

 by the discoveries of the X-rays and 

 of the inert gases of the atmosphere, 

 have ever since furnished material for 

 the exhibits. This year, for example, 

 Mr. Davidson showed an X-ray stereo- 

 scope, Mr. Cossor a new tube and Mr. 

 Pidgeon a new electrical influence ma- 

 chine for X-ray work, while Professor 

 Ramsay exhibited a vacuum tube con- 

 taining crypton, the color of which ap- 

 pears to some observers to be lilac and 

 to others green. Other physical ex- 

 hibits were a kymograph in which the 

 writing pen is moved instead of the 

 drum, an improved coal calorimeter 

 and an electricity meter. Color pho- 

 tography was well represented, appa- 

 ratus being shown and exhibits made, 

 those of special interest being in photo- 

 micrography. The methods of manu- 

 facture of synthetic indigo, now threat- 

 ening to supersede the use of the indigo 

 plant, were exhibited. The Marine 

 Biological Association presented an 

 exhibit showing how the age of fishes 

 is indicated by the growth of layers of 

 scales somewhat similar to the eccen- 

 tric lines on the section of the trunk 

 of a tree. The School of Tropical 

 Medicine exhibited a parasite from 



