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others, on the newly discovered lands of Washington and Humboldt, 

 on the very verge of that naysterious polar sea which Dr. Kane's ex- 

 pedition had the chance to espy and ascertain to be free from ice as 

 far as the eye could reach. Such a fact, indeed, although limited to 

 two species, seems to indicate the existence of peculiar isothermal in- 

 fluences, depending either on warm currents, greater depth of water, 

 or actual depression of our globe at its poles. 



Another remarkable feature of Dr. Kane's collections is: That, 

 dividing into two equal parts the extent of coast, explored by him, 

 and each section presenting about the same number of stations at 

 which herborizations were made — the northern section, from Upper- 

 navik, 73°, to Washington land, has yielded more dicotyledonous; but 

 fewer monocotyledonous species than the southern section from 

 Fiske Fiord to 73° north parallel. 



These unexpected results show that the polar zone cannot, properly, 

 be compared with the alpine regions of the more temperate climates. 

 The uninterrupted action of light and heat, during the whole period 

 between the rising and setting of the sun, which make the day or sum- 

 mer season of the poles; a purer and damper atmosphere, aided per- 

 haps by a greater accumulation of electric fluid, must, necessarily, 

 and more promptly (in the lowest levels) actuate and perfect the ve- 

 getation, not only of the plants already inured to those hyperborean 

 regions; but also of those the seeds of which may have been trans- 

 ported either from milder climates, by currents, migration of birds, 

 or otherwise. Unlike the snow-capped and barren summits of alpine 

 regions, at all times destitute of verdure, it is probable that vegetation 

 is permitted to extend to the very pole itself, wherever it meets with 

 proper soil, favourable solar exposure and protection from the blasts 

 of winds. 



Dr. Kane also made some remarks upon the flora of the po- 

 lar zones, considered in relation to temperature. The farthest 

 northern point visited by him produced plants as abundant in 

 number as those of the botanical region of Lancaster sound. 



Prof Haldeman called the attention of the Society to a re- 

 cent publication by Professor Lepsius, of Berlin, on the sound 

 of the human voice, — and noticed certain sounds in which he 

 thinks Professor Lepsius has not been accurate in the exponents 

 used to indicate them. 



Dr. Kane mentioned that the corrections of the observations 



