August 28, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



269 



responsibilities. Nor can it be to the advantage 

 of the British Museum that its principal officer 

 should be so occupied. But it is when we look at 

 the other side of the question that the faultiness 

 of the arrangement becomes fully obvious. To 

 choose a man distinguished for his technical 

 knowledge and then to fail to give him reasonable 

 freedom in the employment of his training and 

 experience seems as bad a plan as it is possible 

 to conceive. ... I believe I am right in saying 

 that when the late director was appointed his 

 freedom was curtailed. It was, I think, imavoid- 

 able that in these circumstances diiBcuIties should 

 arise, and I feel very strongly that we ought to 

 make the recurrence of such difficulties impos- 

 sible; and this can only be done with certainty 

 by making the Natural History Museum an inde- 

 pendent unit. 



This view was supported by Professor 

 Bourne, who stated that 



The Natural History Museimi will not be placed 

 upon a satisfactory footing until it is placed 

 under the control of a body of trustees separate 

 from that which is responsible for the control 

 ot the British Museum at Bloomsbury. 



Professor Hickson pointed out that, not- 

 withstanding the representations made by men 

 of science during recent years, 

 No changes or reforms had been effected, and the 

 administration is practically the same now as it 

 was before the collections were removed from 

 Bloomsbury, and that for seven months the 

 museum has been deprived of the services of both 

 a scientific director and a keeper of zoology. 



Professor Ewart directed attention to the 

 present unsatisfactory method of appointment 

 of the director and of the subordinate mem- 

 bers of the staff of the Natural History Mu- 

 seum; Professor Kerr said that, owing to the 

 dissatisfaction which exists amongst men of 

 science, it is " essential to hold a careful 

 inquiry into the whole question of the organ- 

 ization and administration of the Natural 

 History Museum before coming to a decision 

 as to the remedial measures to be adopted," 

 and Dr. Marr directed attention to the inade- 

 quate representation in the museum of those 

 important branches of geology which are dis- 

 tinct from botany and zoology. 



The Prime Minister, according to an offi- 

 cial report which has been supplied, replied 

 as follows: 



He expressed his profound satisfaction at meet- 

 ing so many eminent meii of science. He pointed 

 out that, as regards the administration of the 

 museum, the trustees are a statutory body with 

 whom the government were powerless to interfere. 

 He confessed himself still unable to grasp in what 

 way the museum failed to perform its fimetions. 

 The arguments advanced by so many of the depu- 

 tation as to the management by the trustees 

 applied equally to the Bloomsbury museum. The 

 trustees, men of wide experience and great dis- 

 tinction, were equally cognizant of natural history 

 and archeology. He announced that the trustees 

 were about to appoint a keeper of zoology, and 

 that it was not intended to abolish the director- 

 ship, but only to wait to ascertain who was the 

 best man for this responsible position. He sym- 

 pathized with the view that the director should 

 have a free hand in the management of his de- 

 partment, and promised to convey to his fellow- 

 trustees of the British Museum all that the 

 deputation had suggested. 



LECTURES IN CONNECTION WITH THE 



INTERNATIONAL G0N0RES8 OF 



TUBERCULOSIS 



In connection with the congress, which 

 meets in Washington from September 21 to 

 October 12, a series of special lectures will be 

 delivered in Washington and elsewhere by 

 eminent foreigners. The names of the speakers 

 and the cities in which they will lecture are 

 as follows : 



" Studies in Tuberculosis in Domestic Animals 

 and what we may learn regarding Himian Tuber- 

 culosis " : Bernard Bang, of Copenhagen, at Wash- 

 ington, October 3. 



" Les nouveaux procedes de diagnostic preeoce 

 de la Tuberculosis " : A. Calmette, of Lille, France, 

 at Philadelphia, September 26. 



" La Lueha contra Tuberculosis en la Republiea 

 Argentina": Emil Coui, of Buenos Ayres, at 

 Washington, October 2. 



" Tlie Causes which have led to the Past Decline 

 in the Death Rate from Tuberculosis and the 

 Light thrown by this History on Preventive 

 Action for the Future " : Arthur Newsholme, of 

 Brighton, at Washington, September 29. 



"Social Life and Tuberculosis": Gotthold 

 Pannwitz, of Berlin, at Philadelphia, September 

 24. 



" The Anti-tuberculosis Program — Coordination 

 of Preventive Measures " : K. W. Philip, of Edin- 

 burgh, at Boston, October 6. 



