420 NEWS [may 1899 



organisms can live in sufficient luxuriance to build up the reef ; (2) the food of 

 the coral polypes, both in reference to Mr. Gardiner's discovery that certain of 

 these give off oxygen, and in reference to the minute surface fauna ; (3) the 

 importance of currents both in hollowing out and filling in atolls, and also as 

 affecting the distribution of life in the lagoons and on the reefs. The study of 

 the inter-relationship of all the numerous organisms on a reef one to another will 

 receive attention, and careful investigations will be carried on, by means of 

 sounding apparatus and valved leads, as to the character of the sea bottom. 

 Temperature observations at different depths, and samples of sea water, will also 

 be taken. 



The Belgica, with the members of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition under 

 command of Lieutenant de Gerlache, which left Ostend in August 1897, arrived 

 at Punta Arenas, Patagonia, on March 28, 1899. The vessel was for some 

 time fast in the ice, but the expedition is said to have accomplished something. 

 It visited Hughes Bay and Palmer's Land, and prepared a map of these regions ; 

 it obtained various geological specimens, and landed twenty times. It after- 

 wards proceeded towards Alexanderland, and penetrated the ice-bound region to 

 the westward. The extreme latitude reached was 71 "36 ; longitude, 92. 



Two members of the expedition died, viz. Lieutenants Danko and Wincke ; 

 the others are all well. 



Dr. L. Buscalioni has set out for the Amazons to collect for the Botanical 

 Museum at Rome. 



The greater part of the funds required for the scientific exploration of the 

 great African lakes, has now been provided, and Mr. J. E. S. Moore, the leader 

 of the expedition which has been organised for the purpose, will leave im- 

 mediately for British Central Africa. It is expected that the work will occupy 

 two years, of which nine months will be given to the biological and physical 

 exploration of Lake Tanganyika. The other lakes to be visited are Kion, Albert 

 Edward, Nyanza, and the Albert Nyanza. It is hoped that the results of this 

 mission will add largely to our knowledge of the zoology of the lakes in the 

 Rift Valleys, and help to solve many problems in regard to the geology and past 

 physical characteristics of this region of Africa. 



The Kronstadtsld Viestnik states that a Russo-Swedish scientific expedition 

 will start this month for the Spitzbergen Archipelago. The Russians will be 

 represented by Staff Captain Sergiebsky, the zoologist Vinitsky, Dr. Bunge, and 

 the geologist and mining engineer, Chernysheff. They will go in the Libau 

 icebreaker No. 2, and the Bakan, and join the Swedish party at Stockholm. 

 The expedition intends to Avinter in Spitzbergen, the Russians at Edge Island, 

 and the Swedes at Parry Island. The names of the Swedes and of their ships 

 are not given. 



It is announced (Scientific American) that the attractions of the Paris 

 Exposition will include an artificial volcano at Crenelle. It will be 328 feet in 

 height and 485 in diameter, but " the trip to the top will be made very agree- 

 able," for the paths will pass by beautiful bowers and arbors. Vegetation is to be 

 so arranged that visitors will pass from the splendid flora of the Mediterranean to 

 the stunted shrubs found on craters. There will be eruptions at fixed hours, an 

 imitation lava flow, and a reproduction of Dante's "Inferno." Surely. 



