182 THE AREA OF THE PHILIPPINES 



tology. His researches were conducted with remarkable vigor, 

 notable acumen, and exceptionally clear recognition of the prin- 

 ciples of biology. To the general surveyor of the field of organic 

 life, past and present, several of Professor Marsh's contributions 

 seem to be of the first magnitude : The modern method of seek- 

 ing and quarrying for complete skeletons to be used as material 

 for study, in lieu of resting content with fragments, was largely 

 due to his broad views and pertinacious industry, and his lib- 

 eral expenditure of private means ; partly by reason of this 

 method, he was able to classify extinct forms, and trace their 

 relations to living organisms in a superior manner; while his 

 improved methods in field and laboratory enabled him to give 

 unprecedented vitality and living interest to the animals of ages 

 past and the life history of the earth primeval. Among his 

 special contributions, the tracing of the phylogeny of the horse 

 attracted world-wide attention, while his development of the 

 principle of cephalization is of exceeding service to biologists 

 and anthropologists, as well as to specialists in his own domain. 

 During the last decade he turned attention to geology, and his 

 researches in the Atlantic Coastal plain have received much 

 attention and yielded results of permanent value. 



Professor Marsh's scientific work brought recognition from 

 various institutions. He held honorary connection with several 

 European academies of science, and was the recipient of the Cu- 

 vier prize of the Institute of France and of the Bigsby medal of 

 the Geological Society of London ; he was President of the Amer- 

 ican Association for the Advancement of Science in 1878, and 

 President of the National Academy of Sciences for twelve years, 

 1883-1895. A bachelor and the last of his line, he bequeathed 

 practically the whole of his considerable property to Yale Uni- 

 versity. • W J M. 



THE AREA OF THE PHILIPPINES 



In a recent communication to the Geographical Society of the 

 Pacific, of which he is President, Prof. George Davidson writes 

 as follows : 



In several government documents the statement is made that the area 

 of the Philippine islands is something over 114,000 square miles. In the 

 latest one just received it is given as H4,326. This error has doubtless 

 arisen from a hurried examination of the Spanish documents. We find 

 in the " Guia Oficial de las Islas Filipinas, para 1898; Publicada por la 

 Secretaria del Gobierno General ; Manila, 1898," the statement that the 



