F. GEOGRAPHY. 257 



professor stoddard's expedition to Colorado. 



Quite an extensive expedition lias been going on in Colo- 

 rado during the past summer, under the direction of Professor 

 O. N. Stoddard, of Wooster University, having for its object 

 the collection of specimens for that institution and for some 

 others, the representatives of which were in the party. The 

 collections consisted principally of minerals, especially the 

 gold and silver ores of the country, as well as various rocks 

 and fossil remains. Professor Boyd, the botanist of the ex- 

 pedition, obtained between six and seven hundred species of 

 plants, while Professor S. L. Bell, the zoologist, gathered a 

 corresponding collection of animals. 



SALTNESS OF THE WATER OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 



According to a recent investigation, the sea-water found 

 in different parts of the Suez Canal has proved to be excess- 

 ively salt as compared with that of the Mediterranean. 

 Thus while the latter leaves, on evaporation, about forty kilos 

 of salt matter per cubic meter, the canal yields seventy-five 

 kilos. It is supposed that this excess is derived from the 

 dissolving of salt in the beds alonsc the banks of the Bitter 

 River. At Port Said, where the water is freshened by the 

 Nile, it does not yield a residue of more than twenty-five 

 kilos to the cubic meter. It would be an interesting ques- 

 tion to determine whether any fish, and, if any, what species, 

 inhabit the most salt portions of the canal. 15 A, August 8, 

 1874,182. 



GOVERNMENT EXPLORATIONS IN PARAGUAY. 



The Paraguayan government has authorized an exploration 

 of its territory and resources, and for the purpose has appoint- 

 ed a commission consisting of Mr. Charles Twite, geologist, 

 Mr. Balzana, botanist, and Mr. Keith Johnston, geographer. 

 Their first report is expected by October, 1874. 6 A, JVo- 

 vember,lSl3, 340. 



EXPLORATION OF TERRA DEL FUEGO. 



An exploration of Terra del Fuego has recently been 

 prosecuted by Mr. Pertuiset, in behalf of the Chilian govern- 

 ment. He and his party started from the vicinity of Arenas, 



