316 Zoological Recreation in Florida Bay. 



ber 6, a transit of Venus over the sun's disc Avill occur — the most 

 favorable of all phenomena for solution of the noble problem of 

 determining the suns's distance from the earth, provided that proper 

 stations for the observations can be found. (It will be remembered 

 that it was for the same purpose that the most celebrated of all the 

 British scientific expeditions, namely, that of Captain Cook to 

 Otaheite, in 1769, was undertaken.) For the northern stations there 

 will be no difficulty ; they will be on the Atlantic seaboard of North 

 America, or at Bermuda; all very favorable and very accessible. 

 For the southern stations the selection is not so easy; the observation 

 must be made on the Antarctic Continent, if proper localities can be 

 found there, and if the circumstances of weather, etc., are favorable, 

 the determination will be excellent; if these circumstances do not 

 hold, no use, whatever, can be made of the transit. The astronomical 

 object of a southern expedition is, I trust, sufficiently explained. In 

 the event of such an expedition being undertaken, the precise deter- 

 minations which I have indicated as bearing on the astronomical 

 question, must (from the nature of the case) take precedence of aU 

 others. But there would be no difficulty in combining with them any 

 other inquiries, of geography, geology, hydrography, magnetism, 

 meteorology, natural history, or any other subject for which the 

 localities are suitable. And I have now to request that you will have 

 the kindness to communicate these remarks to the Royal Geographical 

 Society, and to take the sense of the Society on the question, whether 

 it is not desirable, if other scientific bodies should co-operate, that a 

 representation be made by the Royal Geographical Society to Her 

 Majesty's Government on the advantage of making such a reconnais- 

 sance of the Southern Continent, as I have proposed; primarily in the 

 interest of astronomy (referring to my official responsibility for the 

 importance of the examination at this special time) ; but conjointly 

 with that, in the interests, perhaps ultimately more important, of 

 geography and other sciences usually promoted by the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society." — Fopidar Science Review, Eng. 



Zoological Recreation in Florida Bay. By W. W. Calkins. 



" How silent are the winds! no billow roars, 

 But all is tranquil as Elysian shores." 



We lay oflT Sandy Key, I awoke with the first gray dawn of morn- 

 ing, and going on deck to get a little sniff" of fresh air, was agreeably 

 surprised to find that the fierce storm of the night had given place to 



