roe 
natural history of that district, although the Society has existed 
only 18 months. It numbers over 300 members. Dr. Stolter- 
foth and Mr. Liddell are energetically working the Diatomacez 
and Foraminifera of the Dee, and lists of these, we believe, 
will shortly be published. Several other members are actively 
at work in all three departments ; the results of this work we 
hope to see in a permanent form, On the 27th inst., the 
President, Canon Kingsley, will read a paper on “Deep Sea 
Dredging,” and on January 30, Professor Boyd Dawkins one on 
his favourite subject—‘‘ Cave Explorations.” 
WE learn from the Atheneum that the Government of 
Colombia, or New Granada, has extended for five years the 
grant to Mr. José Triana to enable him to publish in London, 
in Spanish, ‘‘La Flora Colombiana,” and the Botanical Geo- 
graphy of Colombia, 
WE are glad to learn that a good deal of attention is being 
given to the systematic study of science in Glasgow by members 
of the teaching profession actual and prospective. Mr. E. M. 
Dixon, B.Sc. (London), one of the lecturers in the Established 
Church Normal Training College, has for several sessions regu- 
larly given a very comprehensive course of instruction in physi- 
ology to the male students in training ; and this year the female 
students have been introduced to the study of botany by Mr. 
Robertson, another of the lecturers in the Glasgow Training Col- 
lege. It is understood that the Free Church Normal College is 
also about to do something in science teaching. Mr. J ohn Mayer, 
F.C.S., has, during the last few years, had large classes of pupil 
teachers in physiology, and of schoolmasters and assistant-school- 
masters in physiology, chemistry, and metallurgy, the class for 
teachers being held on Saturdays, soas to be suitable alike for 
town and country students. It is evident that Scotland is becoming 
more alive to the value of science as a means of intellectual dis- 
cipline and culture. In many little towns and villages north of 
the Tweed, special science classes are now in course of establish- 
ment for the first time. 
We learn from the Yournal of Botany that a Flora of Portugal 
is announced as in preparation by Seiior Baroo de Castello de 
Paiva. It will include all the additions made since 1804, the 
date of Brotero’s excellent Flora Lusitanica. 
AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE* 
‘THE arrangements for an extended exploration of the Pacific 
Ocean by the Navy Department of the United States, have 
been brought almost to a conclusion, and it is understood that 
the Portsmouth, under Captain Skenett, will leave New York 
about the middle of November for the scene of operations. 
The vessel will proceed, with only the necessary stops, by way 
of Cape Hor, to the west coast, and will commence her work 
in the Gulf of California. Two years will probably be spent in 
the investigation of the hydrography of the peninsula, including 
the entire gulf region, as also in the exploration of the Revillagi- 
gedo group of islands. A subsidiary object, to receive a due 
share of attention, will be a general investigation into the physics 
and natural history of the deep seas and of the adjacent islands. 
Dr. Street, the surgeon of the expedition, has already distin- 
guished himself as a naturalist and a collector in the Darien 
expedition, and will doubtless win new laurels on the present 
occasion. ‘The astromomical department will be in charge of 
Paymaster Tuttle, well known as the discoverer of an asteroid 
and of a telescopic comet. The Marraganset, now on the 
Pacific station, has also been detailed for the same service, and 
will probably refit at Callao for the purpose. There are few 
portions of America more interesting in a natural history 
point of view than that to be immediately explored by this 
expedition, the Galapagos themselves being scarcely more 
noteworthy.. This is shown by the researches of Mr. Xantus 
* Communicated by the Scientific Editor of Harper's Weekly. 
,; Basin having been carefully explored by them, 
| plies from Virginia City, v/@ Madison Valley. 
obtained large numbers of specimens in all branches of 
natural history, many of which were entirely new to science. 
Colonel Grayson, in his explorations of Socorro Island, one of 
the Revillagigedo group, found that, as at Cape St. Lucas, there 
were many animals peculiar, or unknown elsewhere, most of — 
them being then undescribed. ‘They have, however, lately been 
published by Mr. George N. Lawrencefin a memoir of the col- 
lections of Colonel Grayson.—Professor Marsh announces the 
very important discovery of fossil quadrumana in the eocene de- 
posits of the Rocky Mountains. The genera Limnotherium, 
Zhinolestes, and Telmatolestes are, in his opinion, closely related to 
the lemurs, especially in the correspondence of the larger bones. 
The teeth are more numerous than in any known quadrumana, 
some species having apparently forty—namely two incisors, one 
canine, and seven premolars and molars on each side of each — 
The professor also describes a new genus of large carni- 
jaw. 
vora, under the name of Zimnofelis /atidens, in which the canines 
Nou. 21, 1872 
‘and of Colonel Grayson. ‘The former gentleman spent several ; 
years at Cape St. Lucas, in the service of the United — 
States Coast Survey and of the Smithsonian Institution, and 
, 
’ 
and premolars of the lower jaw resemble those of the hyena, — 
but with only two incisors on either side. The single species, 
Oreocyon latidens, is supposed to have been as large as a lion. 
Another novelty consists in a cretaceous reptilian, allied to 
Mososaurus, and possessing peculiar characteristics. The animal 
has been called Colonosaurus mudgei, after the discoverer, Pro- 
fessor Mudge, who obtained the remains in Western Kansas.— 
Mr. J. F. Whiteaves, of Montreal, has completed his investi- 
gations into the deep-sea fauna of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 
already mentioned as undertaken in continuance of those of 
last year; and he is now engaged in preparing his report 
for presentation to the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, at 
Ottawa. The greatest depth reached by him was 310 fathoms, 
off the south-western end of Anticosti, where he obtained 
a Dbirgularia, and specimens of Pennatu/a additional to those 
secured last year. He also found an interesting cup-shaped 
coral about an inch across the disc. — Recent advices 
from Mr. Stevenson, director of the Snake River division 
of the United States Geographical Survey, under command 4 
of Professor Hayden, announce the arrival of the entire 
party at Fort Hall on the 11th of October, the Snake River 
The party 
reached the Geyser Basin the last of July, having obtained sup- 
They followed 
the Madison River to its source in a small lake, and crossed the 
** divide” to Madison Lake, which they found to have no con- 
nection with Madison River, but with an outlet about one hundred 
feet wide, flowing in an opposite direction from the one given on 
the maps. They followed this to its entrance into another lake 
about five miles wide, and which proved to be the real source of 
Snake River. They found a geyser basin near the sources of 
| Snake River, with about two hundred springs of all sizes, some 
of which spouted eighty to one hundred feet in height. Mr. 
Stevenson divided his party above the Snake River Cajion into 
two portions, one of which passed through the cafion, and the 
other explored the Teton Pass, both meeting again at the lower 
end of the cafion. The division under the immediate direction 
of Professor Hayden reached Bozeman on the 14th of October, 
having completed the season’s labours. Every step is said to 
have been a success, and the amount of valuable material of 
scientific and practical value to far exceed that of any previous 
year. The Professor and his assistants proceed at once to Wash- 
ington to prepare the report, to be presented to Congress for 
publication at an early date. Just before closing his field labours, 
Professor Hayden’s party had explored the Gallatin River to its 
source, and completed the examination of the Yellow Stone by 
descending it to Mount Shields River, thence returning to the 
Three Forks. He expected to visit Helena before proceeding to 
Washington, for the purpose of determining its latitude and 
longitude. His astronomers had already fixed the geographical 
position of Virginia City, Fort Ellis, and Fort Hall.—One of the 
most striking of the many interesting discoveries of vertebrate 
fossils made in the wonderfully rich formations of the West is 
that of a fossil bird obtained by Professor Mudge in the upper 
cretaceous shale of Kansas, and described by Professor Marsh, 
The remains indicate an aquatic form about the size of a pigeon, 
but differing widely from all known birds in having biconcave 
yertebrze. The rest of theskeleton, however, is quite similar to 
that of the average type, The species has beennamed Zcthyornis — 
dispar, 
