544 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1885. 



land, were answered by a very few only. But as regards geography the 

 answers were far worse. In answer to the question, 'What is the cap- 

 ital of Sweden?' Paris, Trondhjem, St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, Lon- 

 don, Madrid, Copenhagen, and even Constantinople were given." It is 

 by no means certain that a similar examination in this country would 

 develop results very much more satisfactory. 



Dr. Richard Lehmann, professorof geography in Munster University, 

 has issued the first part of a work, which will extend to about 400 pages, 

 on apparatus and methods in geographical teaching. Dr. Lehmann has 

 given much attention to the subject of geographical education, and has 

 himself, as teacher and Privatdocent in Halle, had great experience in 

 teaching the subject, so that his work when completed is sure to prove 

 of real service. 



An exhibition of maps, atlases, reliefs, globes, and other apparatus 

 used in geographical education, collected from the jirincipal establish- 

 ments and institutions in England and on the continent of Europe, was 

 opened in London on the 9th of December, 1885, by the president of the 

 Eoyal Geographical Society, the Marquis of Lome, and will continue 

 to the 31st of January, 1886. The programme includes lectures and 

 discussions, and the attendance and interest confirm the judgment of the 

 promoters of the scheme. 



The geographical subject proposed this year by the French Academy 

 of Inscriptions for the Prix Bordin is "A critical examination of the 

 geography of Strabo." According to the terms laid down by the Acad- 

 emy, competitors are (1) to give the history of the text of the work; (2) 

 to characterize the language of Strabo with reference to that of con- 

 temporary Greek writers, such as Diodorus Siculus, and Dionysius of 

 Halicarnassus; (3) to distinguish the information collected by direct ob- 

 servation of places and that drawn by him from his predecessors ; (4) 

 to express definite conclusions on his critical method in using various 

 documents. The papers should be in the hands of the secretary of 

 the institute not later than December 31, 1886. 



It was stated in the early part of the year that the King of the Bel- 

 gians was conferring with M. Martinie, president of the French Geo- 

 graphical Society, on the subject of the formation of an International 

 Geographical Society. Though nothing definite seems to have come of 

 this conference, it is to be hoped that such a society will be formed. 

 One of the best arguments in its favor is that through its instrumen- 

 tality combined action could be had on the system of orthography for 

 native names of places. Taking into consideration the present want of 

 such a system, and the consequent confusion and variety that exist in 

 the mode of spelling in English maps, the council of the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society has adopted the following rules for such geographical 

 names as are not (in the countries to which they belong) written in the 

 Roman character. The rules are identical with those adopted for the 



