NATURAL SCIENCE 



A Monthly Review of Scientific Progress 



No. G7— Vol. XI— SEPTEMBEE 1897 



NOTES AND COMMENTS 



Polar Exploration 



The balloon voyage of Andree in the Arctic Regions seems to have 

 monopolised public interest this month, and the absence of news 

 from him has caused some very unnecessary anxiety as to his safety. 

 Even if the winds be favourable and the balloon do not leak, he is 

 not due on the coast of either America or Asia until well into 

 August ; and it is then quite possible that he may have to spend 

 the winter in some northern post, from which news may not reach 

 Europe until the spring. Several other important expeditions are 

 in the field. Lieutenant Peary is leading another party to Green- 

 land, where he hopes to make arrangements for his proposed Polar 

 expedition and to secure the great block of meteoric iron which 

 could not be removed last summer. He will be accompanied by 

 Mr Charles Schuchert and Mr White, who hope to make large col- 

 lections of the famous fossil plants of Disco Island. Sir Martin 

 Conway and Mr Garwood are continuing the exploration of Spitz- 

 bergen by crossing the northern ice-sheet on ski. The Windward 

 has again sailed for Franz Josef Land, and ought to be back in 

 September with news of Mr Jackson's latest achievements. Mean- 

 while but little has been done in Antarctic research. The Belgian 

 expedition under Dr Gerlache and M. Arctowski have at length 

 obtained the necessary funds, and left Europe in the middle of 

 August. The proposed German expedition is still appealing for sup- 

 port, but does not appear to be very warmly taken up. We hope, 

 however, that the Royal Geographical Society will see its way to a 

 vigorous agitation during the winter in favour of its proposed 

 British Antarctic Expedition. 



Arctic Geology 



REGRET at an ignorance concerning Antarctic geology is increased 

 by two papers in Nature, in which Dr J. W. Gregory reminds us 



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