964 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMEEICAN INSTITUTE. 



(1,750 feet) to the inch; plans of forts have been taken, and the 

 best routes for troops on the march have been carefully noted. 

 The area surveyed in four 3'ears comprehends about 300,000 square 

 versts (131,887 square miles); and the surve3'ors can now show on 

 their maps an expanse of territory stretching without a break along, 

 the Asiatic frontier from the Pacific to the Caspian sea ; from the 

 valley of the Ussuri and the peninsula of Corea to the Ust Urt, 

 Turkestan and Khorassan. 



Eozoox. 

 At a meeting of the Natural History Society of Montreal, in 

 January last, a photograph was exhibited of a remarkable speci- 

 men of Eozouii Canadense, found in the Laurentian limestone of 

 Tudor, Canada West, which was described by Dr. Dawson. Under 

 the microscope, the minute structures of the Eozoon were detected, 

 though less distinctly perceived than in some of the specimens 

 mineralized by serpentine. In some chambers are small amor- 

 phous bodies containing pointed siliceous spicules, which seem to- 

 be the remains of sponges that have estal)lished themselves in the 

 cells after the animal matter of Eozoon has disappeared. This 

 specimen seems to establish conclusions previously made from the 

 study of similar remains included in the sei'pcutinous limestones, 

 and to overthrow objections raised as to the organic origin of 

 of Eozoon. Sir William Logan will lay this specimen before the 

 Geological Society of London, along with other recent discoveries 

 tending to the establishment of a second species of Eozoon. 



Germination and Vegetation. 

 M. Carey Lea has recently made several experiments to deter- 

 mine how far the germination of seeds and the growth of plants 

 are influenced by the action of very dilute solutions of acids, salts, 

 and neutral bodies. In his first experiment he tied over the top 

 of twelve glasses, each holding twelve and a half ounces of water, 

 pieces of very thin muslin which were allowed to dip into the 

 liquid. 'Twenty perfect grains of wheat Avere placed on each 

 piece of muslin. Into the glasses respectively were put one drop 

 of sulphuric acid, two drops nitric acid, three drops hydrochloric 

 acid, five grains bicarbonate of potash, five grains dry carbonate 

 of soda, five grains sulphate of soda, twelve grains chlorate of 

 potash, ten drops of weak ammonia solution. A pair of zinc and 

 copper plates in plain water, and connected above it by a wire, a 

 similar pair in water containing three drops of hydrochloric acid, 



