September 10, 190!)] 



SCIENCE 



331 



that every advance in the study of fossils 

 reveals more problems than it solves. 

 During the last two decades the progress in 

 our knowledge of the extinct backboned 

 animals has been truly astonishing, thanks 

 especially to the great explorations in 

 North America, Patagonia, Egypt, Mada- 

 gascar and South Africa. Whole groups 

 have been traced a long way towards their 

 origin; but with them have been found a 

 number of previously unknown groups 

 which complicate all questions of evolution 

 to an almost bewildering extent. Animals 

 formerly known only by fragments are 

 now represented by nearly complete skele- 

 tons, and several which appeared to have 

 a restricted geographical range have now 

 been found over a much wider area; but 

 while this progress has been made, numer- 

 ous questions have arisen as to the chang- 

 ing connections of certain lands and seas 

 which previously seemed to have been al- 

 most settled. The outlook both of zoology 

 and of geology has, therefore, been im- 

 mensely widened, but the only real contri- 

 bution to philosophy has been one of gener- 

 alities. Some of the broad principles to 

 which I have referred are now so clearly 

 established that we can often predict what 

 will be the main result of any given ex- 

 ploration, should it be successful in recov- 

 ering skeletons. We are no longer bold 

 enough to restore an entirely unknown ex- 

 tinct animal from a single bone or tooth, 

 like the trustful Cuvierian school; but 

 there are many kinds of bones and teeth of 

 which we can determine the approximate 

 geological age and probable associates, even 

 if we have no exact knowledge of the ani- 

 mals to which they belong. A subject 

 which began by providing material for 

 wonder-books has thus been reduced to a 

 science sufficiently precise to be of funda- 

 mental importance to both zoology and geol- 

 ogy ; and its exactitude must necessarily in- 

 crease with greater and greater rapidity as 



our systematic researches are more clearly 

 guided by the experience we have already 

 gained. A. Smith Woodw^^vrd 



The British Museum 



ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH^ 

 In view of the intimate relation which is 

 recognized as existing between certain insects 

 and the propagation of diseases of both man 

 and animals in tropical Africa, and of the 

 similar relation between insects and economic 

 plants, which is becoming more evident as 

 settlement in the continent progresses; Lord 

 Crewe has appointed a scientific committee, 

 whose object it will be to further the study of 

 economic entomology with special reference to 

 Africa. 



This body will be known as the African 

 Entomological Research Committee; and 

 Lord Cromer has kindly consented to act as 

 chairman. The other members of the com- 

 mittee are: 



Colonel A. Alcock, C.I.E., F.R.S., of the London 

 School of Tropical Medicine. 



Mr. E. E. Austen, of the Natural History 

 Museum. 



Dr. A. G. Bagshawe, director of the Sleeping 

 Sickness Bureau. 



Dr. J. Rose Bradford, F.R.S., secretary of the 

 Ro5'al Society. 



Colonel Sir David Bruce, C.B., F.R.S. 



Dr. S. F. Harmer, F.R.S., keeper of zoology, 

 British Museum (Natural History). 



Dr. R. Stewart MacDougall, entomological ad- 

 viser to the Board of Agriculture. 



Sir John Macfadyean, Royal Veterinary College. 



Sir Patrick Manson, K.C.M.G., F.R.S. 



Mr. R. Newstead, of the Liverpool School of 

 Tropical Medicine. 



Dr. G. F. Nuttall, F.R.S., Quick professor of 

 biology, Cambridge University. 



Professor E. B. Poulton, F.R.S., Hope professor 

 of zoology, O.xford. 



Lieutenant-Colonel D. Prain, CLE., F.R.S., 

 director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 



Jlr. H. J. Read, C.M.G., representing the 

 Colonial Oflice. 



The Hon. N. C. Rothschild. 



Dr. D. Sharp, F.R.S. 



Dr. A. E. Shipley. F.R.S., Cambridge LTniversity. 



' From the London Times. 



