9° 



NEWS [.TANUAllY 



Dr. Chas. F. Millspaugh, of the Field Columbian Museum and of Chicago 

 University, is now undertaking a fourth expedition to Yucatan to study the 

 flora of the interior. 



The German Deep-Sea Expedition has already obtained some interesting 

 results. In some of the deep-sea deposits, as well as in samples of water from 

 the greater depths, many forms of bacteria have been observed. By the use of 

 closing nets it has been shown that many crustaceans and fishes, supposed by 

 earlier expeditions to live on the bottom, really belong to the intermediate 

 waters. North of the Canaries the Josephine and Seine Banks rise steeply to 

 within 100 fathoms of the surface. Soundings and temperatures were taken 

 around the Seine Bank, and large numbers of hydroids, antipathids, and the 

 crinoid Antedon phalangium were dredged. The last-mentioned was previously 

 well known from the same locality, having been dredged there by the s.s. "Dacia" 

 in 88 fathoms. Continuous observations have been made on temperature, 

 on specific gravity of surface, and when possible of deeper, waters, as well as 

 on density, colour, and transparency of the water, on ocean currents, and on 

 atmospheric changes. 



The Prince of Monaco's new yacht, the " Princesse Alice," which left Havre 

 on June 23, made a successful voyage in high northern latitudes and returned 

 to Havre on September 20. Dredgings at great depths were poor, but at lesser 

 depths rich and varied. 



Messrs. Chevalier, botanist, and Pejeal, geologist, have accompanied General 

 de Trentinian on an expedition to explore French possessions in the Soudan. 



Science informs us that Dr. W. J. M'Gee, of the Bureau of American 

 Ethnology, and Prof. W. H. Holmes of the U.S. National Museum, have 

 returned from explorations in the southern sierra region of California, where 

 important collections were obtained for the museum and observations made on 

 the surviving Indians of the district. Dr. J. Walter Fewkes of the same 

 bureau is now carrying on researches among the Hopi Indians. 



News has been received that Dr. H. O. Forbes, of the Liverpool Museum, 

 and Mr. W. R. Ogilvie Grant, of the British Museum, safely landed on the island 

 of Socotra on December 6. 



Dr. Donaldson Smith, the American traveller, well known for his journey to 

 Lake Rudolph, and more recent travels in Mongolia, proceeds to Somaliland to 

 collect " big game " and birds for the Gaekwar of Baroda, Avho is desirous of 

 adding to his already fine Museum of Natural History. He is accompanied in his 

 trip by Mr. Carlile Fraser, of Paisley, who has had long experience of African 

 travel in Nyassaland and Uganda. 



In connection with Sir Clement Markham's appeal for subscriptions to a 

 National Antarctic Expedition, there seems some hope of an important nest-egg. 

 When Baron Oscar Dickson made offer of £5000 towards an Antarctic 

 expedition, which was to be under the leadership of the elder Nordenskjold, Sir 

 Thomas Elder offered a similar sum. The project fell through at the time, but 

 it is said that before his death Sir Thomas deposited the above sum in an 

 Adelaide bank, there to wait till the times were ripe. 



Mr. F. H. Knowlton, of the U.S. National Museum, communicates the 

 following note to The Plant World for November 1898: — "While collecting 

 fossil plants in the State of Washington during the past season I discovered, 

 about one mile north of the town of Liberty, a deposit nearly a foot in thick- 

 ness made up almost entirely of gigantic palm-leaves. They are of the ordinary 

 palmate or palm-leaf fan shape, with a petiole nearly an inch in diameter, and 

 although no absolutely perfect specimen could be obtained, from the leaves 

 being so matted together, there is evidence that the leaves must have been from 

 four to six feet in diameter. It represents an undeseribed species of Sabal." 



