234 NATURAL SCIENCE. March, 



a certain exclusiveness towards the public on the part of the Fellows of the Society 

 now in question ; and a Society which asks for public money and occupies a large 

 space in a public park must afford simpler means of entrance to their domain than 

 an order from a Fellow. A small fee for admission, following the example of their 

 neighbours at the Zoological Gardens, would give people generally the opportunity 

 they have a right to ask, and at the same time help to make up the ;^8,ooo deficiency 

 which the Fellows of the Society have now to meet. 



The Scottish Geographical Society has appointed a committee, consisting of 

 Dr. John Murray, Professor James Geikie, Dr. Buchan, and Mr. J. G. Bartholomew, 

 together with delegates from other scientific societies, to take steps towards the 

 promotion of Antarctic exploration, and the Scottish Geographical Magazine for 

 February contains two communications on the subject. In the first Mr. William S. 

 Bruce, naturalist to the s.s. " Balaena," gives a short account of previous explorations ; 

 in the second Dr. C. W. Donald describes the Dundee Whaling Expedition of the 

 summer of 1892-3. A landing was effected on the beach in the north-west of the 

 Erebus and Terror Gulf, and the authorities all agreed that a party could spend a 

 comfortable winter in such a spot as this. Dr. Donald ascertained also that it 

 would be comparatively easy to reach the surface of the ice-cap from many of the 

 landing-places in sight, on Louis Philippe Land as well as on Joinville Island. The 

 finding of a practicable wintering place from which the surface of the ice-sheet 

 would be accessible is an important advance in our knowledge, for abrupt cliffs of rock 

 or ice, bound most other parts of the Antarctic continent. There are numerous notes 

 on the character of the ice, and some illustrations ; but little could be added during 

 an expedition of this sort to our knowledge of the fauna and flora of the parts 

 visited, and the notes made naturally refer mainly to the whales and seals. Among 

 the birds only one not aquatic, the common hooded crow, was seen.' The plants 

 were all mosses and seaweeds. Some fossils are mentioned as having been obtained 

 from Seymour Island, but it is not stated what they are. We believe, however, that 

 land or fresh-water species are still quite unknown from the Antarctic regions, either 

 living or in a fossil state, except the few cryptogams found on different occasions. 

 If the Scottish Geographical Society continue their efforts, we may expect before 

 long to learn something more about this mysterious land, and may ascertain whether 

 it ever supported a fauna and flora as peculiar as that of the similarly isolated 

 continent of Australia. 



Dr. Henry Woodward, F.R.S., is the new President of the Geological Society 

 of London, Mr. Richard Lydekker becomes a Vice-President, and Dr. J. Walter 

 Gregory forms the new blood in the Council. The election took place on 

 February 16, when the retiring president, Mr. W. H. Hudleston, F.R.S., read his 

 address " On some recent work of the Geological Society," being a continuation of 

 the subject dealt with by him on the occasion of the last annual meeting. The 

 fellows and their friends dined together at the Criterion the same evening. 

 The more reasonable charge of half-a-guinea for dinner tickets, initiated by Dr. 

 Woodward, resulted in a better and more representative attendance. Speeches were 

 made by Sir Douglas Galton, Sir Charles Wilson, Sir W. Flower, Sir Archibald 

 Geikie, Dr. Hinde, Dr. Hicks, Dr. Woodward, Lieutenant-General McMahon, Mr. 

 J. E. Marr, and others. 



Lieutenant-General C. A. McMahon was elected President of the Geologists' 

 Association (London) at the Annual General Meeting held on February 2. The 

 retiring President, Mr. Horace B. Woodward, read an address "On Geology in the 

 Field and in the Study," which will be printed in the " Proceedings." 



A few months ago Mr. James H. Veitch exhibited before the fellows of the 

 Linnean Society a number of interesting objects collected during his recent travels 

 in Japan. He has now presented his extensive and varied collection to the Museum 



