Letter to Sir Archibald Geikie from Capt Clarence Edward Dutton telling Geikie that the United States government is considering amalgamating all multifarious scientific functions into one organised Department of Science. Dutton does not agree with this proposal as he thinks it will hamper scientific enquiry. He believes that the increased bureaucracy at the United States Geological Survey will shortly lead to an inevitable decline in the quality of the science it produces. He reports on some unusual obsidians which Arnold Hague has collected at Yellowstone National Park. He hints that he would like a copy of the new edition of Geikie's Text-book of geology, ( 1885) and comments on the diplomatic situation between England and Egypt.