1898] NOTES AND COMMENTS vias; 
voyage to Bering Straits does not necessarily fit a man for the 
administrative work of a large government department, that the 
Primate cannot tell a Painted Lady from a Camberwell Beauty, that 
a man who cannot teach the Trustees how to suck eggs is not fit to 
direct a Museum of Natural History. However these things may be, 
the recommendations of the Standing Committee have been laid 
before the three Principal Trustees, the three have adjourned the 
discussion, and criticism of their action must therefore be reserved 
for our next number. 
THE Museum OF ‘ PRACTICAL’ GEOLOGY 
WE learn from Nature that 500 Fellows of the Geological Society 
signed a memorial to their president and council protesting against 
the transference of the Museum of Practical Geology to South Ken- 
sington, since “removal of the collections would seriously impede 
the progress of science, especially on its economic side.” The 
Council did not see its way to comply with the request of the 
memorialists, that it should address the Government on the subject ; 
indeed, it expressed the opinion that the question of the removal 
required more consideration than it appeared to have received. 
Certainly this laying stress upon the ‘ economic side’ of the ques- 
tion is a trifle ridiculous. As a well-informed article in the Builder 
of June 25th points outs, economic geology is the one thing that 
is lacking at the Museum of Practical Geology. The collection of 
building-stones is very incomplete, and even that is unaccompanied 
by the necessary particulars. ‘‘ The clay-working industry,” says 
our contemporary, “is not much advanced by the miserable show at 
present arranged in the Museum.” Agriculture, and even mining are 
but indifferently attended to. Ifa museum “ with the special object 
of illustrating the applications of geology to the useful purposes of 
life” is a desideratum, and we do not for one moment deny that it 
is, then let us have one, and let it be in the place that is most con- 
venient to engineers, architects, well-sinkers, medical officers, and 
such practical men. But all this has mighty little to do with the 
fine, stratigraphical series of British fossils, of which only a small 
portion is named and exhibited at Jermyn Street, and that in a 
manner to reflect credit on the palaeontologists of a past generation. 
FRENCH ‘ PROTECTION’ OF FOSSILS IN MADAGASCAR 
WE learn from the July Geographical Journal that the Politique 
Coloniale of May 25, 1898, publishes a circular issued by the 
French Governor of Madagascar, ordering the local officials in this 
colony to prevent any but Frenchmen from collecting fossils in the 
island. No one is to be allowed to collect fossils unless he be pro- 
vided with a special licence from the Governor; and this will only 
