GEOGRApny. 4G7 



In June an expedition, organized by the French ministry of marine 

 and under the superintendence of A. Milne-Edwards, sailed from Eoche- 

 fort on the French government steamer Talisman for the exploration of 

 that portion of the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa in the 

 vicinity of the Cape de Verde, Canary, and Azores islands and the 

 Sargasso Sea. 



Very numerous souudiugs and dredgings were made, the latter result- 

 ing in the finding of very many new and interesting species. The greatest 

 depth found seems to have beeen 3,427 fathoms, between the Cape de 

 Verde islands and the Azores, about the 25th parallel of latitude. As 

 the depths found indicate a contour of the ocean bottom largely differ- 

 ing from that shown in a recent German bathy metrical chart, it is 

 evident that the locality needs further examination. The bed of the 

 Sargasso Sea was found to consist of a thick layer of fine volcanic mud, 

 with fragments of pumice and rock. A vast volcanic chain appears to 

 stretch parallel with the African shore, the Cape de Verde islands, 

 the Canary group, Madeira, and the Azores being the only parts of it 

 not submerged. About the 1st of September the Talisman returned to 

 Eochefort. 



The physical survey of the Mediterranean Sea under the direction of 

 the Italian Government, has been continued by Captain Magnaghi, of 

 the Italian navy, in the Government steamer Washington. This under- 

 taking has now been in progress for three years, under the patronage 

 of the Accademia dei Lincei. 



The official report of the Norwegian expedition for the exploration of 

 the North Atlantic, in 1876-'77-'78, has been published. Volumes iv and 

 V contain a historical account of the expedition, with the geographical, 

 astronomical, magnetic, and natural history observations. The general 

 objects of the expedition were the determination of the contour of the 

 bottom by sounding, the investigation of the rate and direction of cur- 

 rents, and of the physical condition and chemical constituents of sea- 

 water, as well as zoological, botanical, meteorological, and magnetic 

 work. The region examined lies, generally speaking, between the west 

 coast of Norway and a line drawn from Iceland to Spitzbergen. The 

 greatest sea depth found was rather more than 2,000 fathoms, between 

 Jan Mayen and Spitzbergen. Aside from the deep-sea work, the most 

 interesting geographical results of this excellently managed expedition 

 are derived from Dr. Mohn's examination of the island of Jan Mayen, 

 an extinct volcano 0,400 feet high, and from his remarks on Bear Island 

 and Spitzbergen. The volumes of this report are most liberally cir- 

 culated by the Norwegian Government. 



The preliminary report of the Superintendent of the United States 

 Coast Survey states that the work of connecting points in the various 

 States of the Union by triangulation has been carried on in Maine, New 

 Hampshire, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, 

 Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Ohio, Ken- 



