July 21, 1887] 



NATURE 



277 



ork on their respective groups of animals : Mr. I. C. 

 Thompson, on the Copepoda ; Mr. J. Lomas, on the 

 Polyzoa ; and Prof. Herdman, on the Tunicata. Various 

 other scientific men have come as visitors to see the 

 station, including: Prof. Lodge, F.R.S., Prof. Hele 

 Shaw, Mr. Reginald Phillips, of Bangor, Mr. I. Roberts, 



Fig. 3.— Plan of Liverpool Marine Biological Station on Puffin Island, 

 w, windows ; c, chimneys. 



and Mr. Mellard Reade ; and it is hoped that if the 

 weather is favourable on Sept. 3, the biologists taking 

 part in the British Association dredging expedition, 

 arranged by the Liverpool Marine Biology Committee, 

 will have an opportunity of visiting Puffin Island and its 

 Biological Station. W. A. Herdman. 



ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. 



T N June 1886, an Australian Antarctic Exploration 

 ^ Committee was appointed at Melbourne. It con- 

 sisted of five members each from the Royal Society of 

 Victoria and the Royal Geographical Society, Victoria 

 Branch. This Committee has collected a quantity of in- 

 formation respecting the islands lying south of Tasmania 

 as well as respecting lands lying nearer the Pole. 



The prospect of obtaining a Government grant for an 

 expedition having scientific purposes only, though the 

 preferable course, was thought to be hopeless. The Com- 

 mittee therefore has recommended the Government of 

 Victoria (which had expressed itself favourably to the pro- 

 ject) to offer to steam-whalers, for carrying a scientific staff 

 to certain high latitudes, bonuses, graduated to degrees of 

 southing. We print the conditions, but no tenders can be 

 invited till a grant is assured, and the Government of 

 Victoria is indisposed to act in the matter without other 

 colonies, whose co-operation is doubtful, though Tasmania 

 will most probably offer a small contribution. 



Many offers of steam-whalers have been sent from 

 England, Scotland, and Norway, where tHe owners seem 

 anxious to dispose of their ships and gear. Most im- 

 portant and valuable information and advice have been 

 received from CapL Gray, of Peterhead. 



The following are the recommendations of the Antarctic 

 Committee to the Honourable the Premier of Victoria :— 



(i) The Antarctic Committee begs respectfully to 

 recommend to the Honourable the Premier the propriety 

 of stimulating Antarctic research by the offer of bonuses. 



(2) That a sum of ^i 0,000 be placed upon the 

 Estimates, to provide for the amount of the bonuses, and 

 for the expenses of the equipment and of the staff. 



(3) The amount of the bonuses to be paid to the ship- 

 owners for the hereinafter mentioned services is to be 

 decided by tender, and the same, together with the cost 

 of equipment and the staff, not to exceed the sum of 

 / 1 0,000. 



(4) That the Government invite tenders from ship- 

 owners willing to perform the services required. 



(5) That the tenders be sent to the Treasury direct, 

 or through the Agent-General, not later than June i. 



(6) That tenderers must provide two fortified steam- 

 ships, each of not less than 175 tons register, 60 horse- 

 power nominal, and Ai at Lloyd's, or of an equivalent 

 class. 



(7) That tenderers must supply full descriptions of the 

 ships and their equipments. 



(8) That the master and chief mate of both ships shall 

 have held similar positions in Arctic steam-ships. 



(9) That the tenderer shall provide, free of charge, 

 cabin accommodation in each ship for two gentlemen, 

 who will sail as the scientific staff; also a separate cabin, 

 of a size to be specified, as instrument-room and office. 



(10) The scientific staff will have the status of cabin 

 passengers, and be subordinate to the master, but the 

 master must afford them every facility, that does not 

 interfere with the work or safety of the ship, for noting 

 natural phenomena. 



(11) The chartered ships will earn a special bonus (to 

 come out of the ^10,000 appropriated) upon their enter- 

 ing at the Custom House a cargo of 100 tons of oil, 

 being the produce of fish caught south of 60^ S. 

 The special bonus to be paid as follows, viz. : — To ships 

 owned and registered in Australia, ^1,000; to ships 

 owned and registered elsewhere, ^800. 



(12) The services desired are as follows, viz. : — A flying 

 survey of any coast-lines lying within the Antarctic Circle, 

 and not now laid down upon the Admiralty charts. The 

 discovery of new waterways leading towards the South 

 Pole, and of harbours suitable for wintering in. Oppor- 

 tunities to be afforded to the scientific staff to add to our 

 knowledge of the meteorology, oceanography, terrestrial 

 magnetism, natural history, and geology of the region. 

 The discovery of commercial products. 



(13) The tenderer must specify the bonus he demands 

 for passing 70° S. with either one or two ships ; also 

 the bonus he demands for each degree attained beyond 

 70° S. by one ship ; also the bonus he demands for every 

 occasion upon which he succeeds in establishing on the 

 shore a temporary observing camp. 



(14) That the Government should pay for only one such 

 station for each 120 miles of latitude or longitude, unless 

 the master shall have established more at the written 

 request of both members of the staff. 



(15) The staff to have the right to refuse to accept the 

 site of any camp selected by the master, and such refusal 

 shall be logged by the master, and read over to the staff 

 in the presence of the mate and the surgeon ; and tbe 

 staff shall hand to the master their objections thereto in 

 writing, and the same must be signed by both of them. 



(16) The tenderer will not receive any more bonus for 

 two ships than for one after passing the 70th parallel. The 

 Committee would prefer that one of the ships should 

 remain fishing in the neighbourhood of North Cape, 

 Victoria Land, whilst the other pushed into higher 

 latitudes. In case of accident to the latter, the former 

 would serve as a depot and relief for the shipwrecked 

 crew to fall back upon. 



(17) Should the master of either ship despatch an 

 exploring party from his vessel, the contractor will be 

 entitled to a bonus for each sixty miles of latitude or 

 longitude traversed by such party, but the tenderer must 

 specify what sum he will require for each sixty miles 

 so traversed. 



(18) That the ships should proceed direct to the bight 

 situated on the meridian of 180°, with a view of one 

 of them getting beyond Ross's furthest, and especially of 

 observing the conditions of the volcanoes at the head of 

 the bight. 



(19) The contractor will be liable to no penalty should 

 he fail to reach to any latitude tendered for. 



