MAy 26, 1856.] SWITZERLAND. 149 



The Austrian Geographical Institute of Vienna has given the 

 public the last sheets of its great Map of Central Italy, alluded to 

 in previous Addresses of the Presidents of this Society. The map 

 is now accompanied by statistical data of considerable interest con- 

 cerning Tuscany and the Papal States, and the work, as a whole, 

 is a most useful and important contribution to geographical science. 



As to Naples, I am not aware that any progress has been made 

 in the publication of the survey commenced by the late General 

 Visconti, often alluded to by my predecessors. 



Switzerland. — From our Corresponding member, M. J. Ziegler, we 

 learn that the geodetical and topographical operations of Switzer- 

 land have been continued in the north of the Canton of Tessin and 

 in the chain of the Alps, crossed by the passes of Lukmanier, 

 of Bernhardin, and Splugen. The principal labours which have 

 been executed in the past season were commenced chiefly in a 

 geological point of view, such as that by Dr. Heusser in Valais, 

 which was undertaken in order to make some observations in the 

 environs of Visp, the centre of commotion of the destructive earth- 

 quakes which, even to this day, make themselves felt. 



Professor Heusser, of the University of Zurich, has visited these 

 places, and has given the results of his personal observations in 

 a little work which the Society of Natural History at Zurich 

 has published. M. Kiou has published an account of the earth- 

 quakes which were felt in 1855, in the months of July and 

 November. Meteorological observations have also been made 

 during the past winter throughout the whole extent of the central 

 Alps. 



By the uninterrupted railway works throughout Switzerland the 

 number of hypsometrical data is increasing, and the interest in 

 hypsometry is becoming greater. Hypsometrical charts are more 

 numerous, and the use of them is becoming general in proportion 

 as we can compare with exactitude the elevation of different 

 countries. I may particularly allude to Mr. Ziegier's Hypsome- 

 trical Atlas, in course of publication. 



Our learned Associate, Professor Chaix, of Geneva, informs us of 

 the expected return of Messrs. H. de Saussure and IT. Peyrot from 

 their journey to Mexico, and that Professor De Candolle has pub- 

 lished, in two volumes, a comprehensive treatise on Botanical Geo- 

 graphy. From the same high authority our Secretary has just 

 received an interesting communication on the Hydrography of the 



