OCT 11 1897 
NATURAL SCIENCE 
A Monthly Review of Scientific Progress 
No. 67—Vo.t. XI—SEPTEMBER 1897 
NOTES AND COMMENTS 
PoLAR EXPLORATION 
THE balloon voyage of Andrée in the Arctic Regions seems to have 
monopolised public interest this month, and the absence of news* 
from him has caused some very unnecessary anxiety as to his safety. 
Even if the winds be favourable and the balloon do not leak, he is 
not due on the coast of either America or Asia until well into 
‘August; and it is then quite possible that he may have to spend 
the winter in some northern post, from which news may not reach 
Europe until the spring. Several other important expeditions are 
in the field. Lieutenant Peary is leading another party to Green- 
land, ‘where he hopes to make arrangements for his proposed Polar 
expedition and to secure the great block of meteoric iron which 
could not be removed last summer. He will be accompanied by 
Mr Charles Schuchert and Mr White, who hope to make large col- 
lections of the famous fossil plants of Disco Island. Sir Martin 
Conway and Mr Garwood are continuing the exploration of Spitz- 
bergen by crossing the northern ice-sheet on ski. The Windward 
has again sailed for Franz Josef Land, and ought to be back in 
September with news of Mr Jackson’s latest achievements. Mean- 
while but little has been done in Antarctic research. The Belgian 
expedition under Dr Gerlache and M. Arctowski have at length 
obtained the necessary funds, and left Europe in the middle of 
August. The proposed German expedition is still appealing for sup- 
port, but does not appear to be very warmly taken up. We hope, 
however, that the Royal Geographical Society will see its way to a 
vigorous agitation during the winter in favour of its proposed 
British Antarctic Expedition. 
ARCTIC GEOLOGY 
REGRET at an ignorance concerning Antarctic geology is increased 
by two papers in Nature, in which Dr J. W. Gregory reminds us 
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