May 19, 1S99.] 



SCIENCE. 



723 



sources of the Philippiiu?, lias been prevented 

 by the uncertainty of the political situation and 

 the state of war there existing from prosecuting 

 these investigations, through no fault, however, 

 of either Admiral Dewey or General Otis, both 

 of whom would ere this have provided the 

 facilities for safe travel about the islands, etc., if 

 it had been possible to do so. From recent ad- 

 vices from the military authorities at Manila, 

 however, it appears that, not content to rest in 

 idleness. Dr. Becker early attached himself to 

 the Bureau of Military Information of the 

 Army, and soon became the right-hand man of 

 Major J. F. Bell, in charge. Official reports 

 and papers that have since passed between 

 Major Bell and the Commanding General, and 

 letters from the officers to Director Walcott, 

 record numerous valuable services rendered by 

 Dr. Becker to the army through the Bureau of 

 Military Information, and also repeated acts of 

 gallantry and soldierly usefulness in action, and 

 accord him high praise for his conduct. He is 

 repeatedly and strongly complimented by his 

 military superiors, from Major Bell to Generals 

 MacArthur and Otis. The reports, w'hich cover 

 events only to the middle of March, mention 

 no fewer than 14 military reconnaissances and 

 active engagements bad with the forces, in all of 

 which Dr. Becker took part. 



It has not yet been determined by the Direc- 

 tor of the Survey how long Dr. Becker shall 

 remain in the Philippine Islands, but it is be- 

 lieved that he will be able to make some sub- 

 stantial progress with his geologic investigations 

 before he is recalled. Being skilled in rapid 

 field observation, he will be able to advance the 

 work rapidly if once he gets at it. It is not 

 improbable that he is even now doing strati- 

 graphic geology in the Island of Negros, with a 

 view to correlating its structure with that of 

 Cebu. At least, he expressed the hope when 

 he last wrote to Director Walcott, March 1st, 

 of being able to do this in April and after that 

 of going to Cebu and studying the coal deposits. 



It is reported that Dr. Becker contemplates 

 returning to America via the Suez Canal and of 

 making a study en route of the great tin de- 

 posits at or near Singapore. 



W. F. M. 



May 5, 1899 



CONVERSAZIONE OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY. 



The first Conversazione of the season was 

 held by the Royal Society at Burlington House, 

 on May 3d. The guests were received by the 

 President, Lord Lister, and a large number of 

 men of science was present. The following 

 particulars concerning the exhibits, which were 

 of a more strictly scientific character than 

 usual, are taken from the London Times: Pro- 

 fessor Arthur Thomson exhibited a model to 

 illustrate how natural curliness of the hair is 

 produced. An exhibit from the Marine Biolog- 

 ical Association of Plymouth illustrated meth- 

 ods of feeding of marine animals by means of 

 living and preserved examples. A series of 

 selected animals from the neighborhood of 

 Plymouth was shown, illustrating diflferent 

 methods practiced for securing food. The As- 

 sociation also showed charts illustrating the 

 distribution of the fauna and bottom deposits 

 near the 30-fathom line from the Eddystone 

 grounds to Start Point. Dr. Francisco Moreno, 

 who has done so much for the exploration of 

 Patagonia, exhibited a portion of skin of an 

 extinct ground-sloth from a cavern in southern 

 Patagonia, which has been exciting great inter- 

 est among naturalists. To Dr. Moreno was 

 also due a fine plaster reproduction of the skele- 

 ton of Toxodon plafensis, an extinct ungulate 

 quadruped from the Pampa formation, province 

 of Buenos Ayres, Argentina. Dr. Woodward's 

 selection of zoological specimens from Christ- 

 mas Island, Indian Ocean, collected by Mr. C. 

 W. Andrews, was of special interest, containing, 

 as it did, some remarkable forms of insects, 

 birds, and even rats. Not less interesting was 

 the varied collection of birds, insects, shells, 

 etc., brought home by Dr. H. O. Forbes and 

 Mr. Grant from Sokotra. 



Dr. Manson and Surgeon-Major Ross showed 

 microscopes beneath which were displayed 

 specimens of mosquitoes, showing the develop- 

 ment of the parasites of malaria in their tissues, 

 and also of the same parasites assuming deadly 

 dimensiojis in the human tissues. 



Among other exhibits were the new element 

 Victorium, of the Yttrium group, one of the 

 latest results of Sir William Crookes's long con- 

 tinued researches in phosphorescent spectra ; 

 Mr. Saville-Kent's natural-color photographs 



