NA TURE 



[May 6, 1897 



but during a day's absence from home, about once in three 

 weeks, the meteorological observations were made by his son. 

 In some of the reductions the services of Mr. R. B. Walker 

 were engaged. ( )uite recently a discussion of the early series 

 of occultation observations made in the years 1864 to 1870 at 

 this observatory, has been concluded by Dr. Hugo Clemens, of 

 Gottingen, in his inaugural dissertation, with a most satisfactory 

 result, which speaks well for the observations employed. 



THE TWELFTH GERMAN GEOGRAPHICAL 



CONGRESS. 

 'T'HE German " Geographentag," which takes place every 

 -*■ second year, was held from April 21 to 23, in Jena. The 

 meeting was attended by over five hundred persons from all 

 parts of Germany, including Prof. Brackebusch, Colonel Fro- 

 benius, Prof. Karl Futterer of Karlsruhe, Prof. Gerland of 

 Strassburg, Prof. Hahn of Kcinigsberg, Dr. Hassenstein. Dr. 

 K. Hassert, Herr von Hesse Wartegg, Prof. Kirchhoff of 

 Halle, Captain Kollm (Secretary of the Berlin Geographical 

 Society), Dr. Kretschmer, Count von Linden, Dr. Lindeman, 

 Dr. Hans Mayer, Prof. Neumann of Freiburg, Prof. Neumayer 

 of Hamburg, Dr. Schenck, Prof. Supan of Gotha, Prof. Sievers 

 of Giessen, Prof. Wagner of Gottingen, Prof. Walther of Jena, 

 Prof. Wahnschaffe of Berlin, and Count von Zeppelin. Twelve 

 German Geographical Societies were officially represented, and 

 two foreign Societies — the Royal Geographical Society and the 

 Hungarian Geographical Society — sent delegates. 



The town of Jena was decorated for the occasion, and the 

 geographers were warmly received and handsomely entertained. 

 Five meetings were held for the reading and discussion of 

 papers, and each evening there was a social gathering, usually 

 of an informal and genial character. 



At the first meeting, after addresses of welcome had been 

 given on behalf of the Grand Duke of Saxe- Weimar, the 

 Municipality of Jena, and the University, the President, Prof. 

 Neumayer, of the German Naval Observatory at Hamburg, de- 

 livered a short opening address, and then proceeded to present 

 the Report of the German Committee on South Polar Ex- 

 ploration. He referred in the most generous manner to the 

 approaching Belgian expedition, and to the projected British 

 expedition, under the auspices of the Royal Geographical 

 Society, but urged the importance of a national German under- 

 taking, pointing out that there was scope for many expeditions, t 

 simultaneous or consecutive, in the vast unknown areas of the 

 far south. The Committee appointed at the "Geographentag" 

 at Bremen, in 1895, to arrange for a German Antarctic 1-^xpedi- 

 tion, had drawn up a comprehensive scheme, but the means 

 with which to carry it out were still wanting. The aims of the 

 expedition were defined as the study of meteorological con- 

 ditions, terrestrial magnetism, geodesy, zoology, botany, geology, 

 and ice-conditions, as well as geographical exploration. The 

 expedition must, as an essential condition, winter for two years 

 within the Antarctic Circle, while a second vissel carries on 

 hydrographic work on the edge of the ice. The Committee had 

 selected the longitude of Kerguelen Island as the most suitable 

 point for attempting to force a way southward. The co- 

 operation of the observatories in Cape Town, Melbourne, and 

 in Mauritius would give special value to the meteorological and 

 magnetic observa4ions made in the selected part of the Antarctic 

 area. Two vessels of about 400 tons would carry each four 

 officers, four of a scientific staff, and a crew of twenty-two. The 

 whole cost is estimated at under 50,000/., and a strenuous 

 appeal will be made to the German people to subscribe this 

 sum, as soon as the important step of selecting a leader for the 

 expedition has been taken. 



The remainder of the first sitting was occupied by papers 

 descriptive of explorations in Brazil by Dr. Hermann Mayer, 

 and in Asia Minor by Dr. Zimmerer and Herr Roman Ober- 

 hummer. 



The second sitting was devoted, as required by the rules of 

 the Congress, to educational subjects, the most important paper 

 being by Prof. Fischer, on the importance of geographical 

 tours of considerable extent under the guidance of geographical 

 instructors. 



The third sitting was devoted to geo-physical questions. 

 Papers on seismic observations were read by Prof. Gerland of 

 Strassburg, and Prof. Supan of Gotha, both of whom dwelt on 

 the urgent importance of establishing systematic seismological 

 observations in all parts of the world. A lively discussion 



ensued, and Prof. Supan formulated a resolution, which was sub- 

 sequently adopted, to the effect that the establishment of seismic 

 observations in all countries should no longer be postponed, and 

 that the "Geographentag" hoped that the German Government 

 would take the necessary steps without delay to establish a 

 system of observations in Germany similar to that which had 

 been established and carried out with valuable results in Japan. 

 Dr. Schmidt, of Gotha, read a jiapef on the geographical 

 problems connected with the study of terrestrial magnetism, and 

 Dr. Naumann, of Munich, spoke of the relation between the 

 magnetic conditions and the geological and geo-tectonic character 

 of a region, illustrating his remarks by reference to his. own 

 studies when engaged on the geological survey of Japan. 



The fourth sitting was devoted to zoogeography, Dr. .Semon, 

 of Jena, discussing the fauna of Australia in the light of his 

 recent researches. Prof. Hahn, of Konigsberg, spoke of the 

 distribution of transport animals, and the influence exerted by 

 geographical conditions on the method of transporting goods on 

 land. Dr. Schneider, of Dresden, read a paper on the fauna of 

 the island of Borkum, to which he has devoted ten years of 

 study, and has distinguished an immense number of species and 

 varieties which had not previously been recognised. 



At the fifth and concluding sitting, various resolutions arising 

 out of the papers were proposed and voted upon. Breslau was 

 selected as the place of meeting for the thirteenth " Geographen- 

 tag " in 1899 ; and Prof. Walther, of Jena, read an important paper 

 on the interpretation of Thuringian scenery by means of the 

 geological structure of the district. He had previously, in the 

 Geological Mu.seuni, demonstrated the geology of Thuringia by 

 means of an ingeniously constructed model, which .showed the 

 somewhat complicated geological history of the neighbourhood 

 in a strikingly graphic and simple manner. 



By special invitation the geographers were shown over the 

 great optical works of Messrs. Zeiss, and had an opportunity of 

 seeing the whole process of the working of lenses and prisms, 

 and the construction of the numerous forms of scientific instru- 

 ments which are produced in the establishment. Excursions 

 were also made to various places of interest in the neighbour- 

 hood, the geology and archaeology of which were explained by 

 competent guides. 



A word must be said as to the social arrangements, which 

 were of the happiest kind. At the dinner and " Festcommers," 

 given by the town, a number of original geographical songs, com- 

 posed by Prof. Leo Sachse, were sung, the allusions exciting 

 much amusement amongst the visitors. After the dinner, 

 U.sambara coffee and Cameroons cigars were served, as an 

 example of the increasing importance of the German colonies. 

 Altogether the meeting presented an impressive picture of the 

 solid work in scientific geography being carried on in Germany, 

 and of the enthusiasm which professors and students alike bring 

 to bear on the problems they attack. 



NO. 1436, VOL. 56] 



THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL 

 ENGINEERS. 

 A N ordinary general meeting of the Institution of Mechanical 

 -'^ Engineers was held on Wednesday and Friday evenings, 

 April 28 and 30, the President (Mr. E Windsor Richards) 

 occupying the chair. Two papers were read — the first, on 

 "Mechanical Propulsion on Canals," by Mr. L. S. Robinson ; 

 and the second, on "Experiments on Propeller Ventilating 

 Fans and on the Electric Motor Driving them," by Mr. W. G. 

 Walker. 



Mr. Robinson's paper was of practical rather than of scientific 

 interest. The most striking point brought out by the author 

 was that it requires no more power to tow a long barge than 

 a short one on a canal, an " enigma," to use an expression 

 Mr. Henry Davy applied during the discussion, which neither 

 the author nor the speakers at the meeting were able to ex- 

 plain. Mr. Robin.son was of opinion that the chief point to be 

 observed in canal navigation is the cross section of the canal. 

 Shallow water is fatal to efficiency. This was borne out 

 generally by the speakers during the discussion. Sir Leader 

 Williams stating that it was useless to attempt improvements 

 in mechanical details of tugs, lSic, until the waterways were of 

 a design that enable these improvements to be applied with 

 advantage. A description was given of certain experiments 

 made on a hydraulically propelled boat, fitted with a discharge 

 orifice that passed through the stern-post of the vessel, and had 

 a constricted passage, something of the nature of a vena con- 



