140 
consequence of such a conclusion would be that Enderby 
Land and Kemp’s Land, in whose neighbourhood it has 
already been assumed that no considerable land would be 
found, would be islands, and that between Kemp’s Land 
and Termination Land chances of penetrating towards 
the south would be greater than under the meridian of 
New Zealand. 
Dr. Neumayer appends the following sketch of the plan 
upon which he thinks any South Polar expedition should 
be conducted :— 
1, A wooden sailinz-vessel with auxiliary screw ofat most 
300 tons, thoroughly strengthene/ at the bow and properly 
arranged on the upper deck, should be sent out on such 
an expedition. 2. The ship should be equipped with all 
the most approved appointments and the most recent and 
best scientific apparatus suitable for the observation of 
ghenomena of all kinds. 3. Men eminent in each of the 
srincipal branches of science should be chosen to accom- 
yany the ship, which should first make for the Cape of 
Sood Hope, where all the necessary scientific arrange- 
nents and testing of instruments could be made. The 
Cape, indeed, might be considered as the real starting 
yoint of the expedition. 4. For the purjose of regular 
ybservations, soundings, and so forth, the expedition 
should set out about the beginning of the year from the 
Cape for the various groups of islands visited by Cook 
and Ross, making for Christmas Haven in Kerguelen, 
overhauling the observations which have been arranged 
for now thirty years, and attempting to fix the geographi- 
cal position of as many points as possible. 5. On the 
Macdonald Islands, as they stretch farther to the south in 
this quarter (53° 5°5’ S. lat. 73° 17'2' E. long.), a depét 
should be established, the chief purpose of which should 
be to maintain an ample stock of coals for the use of the 
expedition, to convey which from the Cape a transport 
vessel would be useful. Besides a strongly-built astro- 
nomical magnetic observatory should be erected here, 
which would serve as a basis of observation for the opera- 
tions of the expedition in the south ; for these islands are 
the outmost fore-posts of the Antarctic regions. 6. The 
ship could carry on its soundings and researches into the 
currents, the ocean-bed, &c., with diligence, and go as far 
south as the season would permit without danger. In 
December the attempt should be made to cross the polar 
circle, to force through the girdle of pack-ice, and begin 
research in the polar regions proper. 7. An attempt 
should be made, with all energy and circumspection, to 
winter inside the polar circle, when possibly a suitable 
harbour might be found on Kemp or Enderby Land. By 
this means the data for the winter climatology of the An- 
tarctic regions would be ascertained, for which Science has 
sighed so long. On this position of observation a small 
contingent of eight or ten men and a whaling-boat should 
be left, furnished with every means for the preser- 
vation of their health and the furthering of scientific 
knowledge. After establishing this station, the ship 
itself should return to the Macdonald Islands, and 
pass the winter, as far as the season will per- 
mit, in pursuing scientific labours. 8. By the approach 
of the favourable season in September and October 
the work could be again transferred to the sea, and parti- 
cularly a thorough survey of the Macdonald group should 
be made. 
NATURE 
In December the ship would again make for | 
<n, Te 
| Dec.'26, 1842. 
the south, take up the observers on Kemp’s Land, and 
then proceed to further researches until the end of the 
favourable season urges a return to the Macdonald 
Islands. 9. At the conclusion of its work the expedition 
could sail for Melbourne, where the necessary arrange- 
ment of the observations could be made. 10. During 
the sojourn of the expedition in andwaround the Mac- 
donald group, it might be arranged that a series of 
Australian-bound ships of all nations should from time 
to time sail southward and visit the island, which, during 
the Austral summer would be a matter of little difficulty, 
In this way a regular connection with Europe would be 
maintained, and intelligence could, now that we have 
telegraphic communication between Melbourne and 
England, reach Europe from the Macdonald Islands in 
from fourteen to eighteen days. Should the latter group, 
contrary to all expectation, prove unsuitable to a long 
stay, then must Christmas Haven in Kerguelen (48° 
41’ 1" S, lat. and 69° 3’ 35" E. long.) be chosen for the 
purpose. Should an expedition be fitted out in connection 
with that for the observation of the Transit of Venus, the 
above plan would require to be materially modified. 
Dr. Neumayer concludes with some sensible remarks on 
the qualifications necessary to form an efficient leader of an 
expedition such as he proposes ; the man selected for the 
purpose must be both a seaman and aman of science, and 
no mere dilettante discoverer. Should such an expe- 
dition ever be organised, the importance of these con- 
siderations cannot be overrated. 
FAYRER’S THANATOPHIDIA OF INDIA. 
The Thanatophidia of India. Being a description of the 
Venomous Snakes of the Indian Peninsula, with an ac- 
count of the Influence of their Poison on Life; anda 
series of experiments, By J. Fayrer, M.D., &c. 1 vol. 
folio, coloured plates. (London: Churchill, 1872.) 
ti HIS is a handsome work, got up in good style, printed - 
in large clear type, and illustrated with a number 
of highly-coloured plates. It is intended to supply a want 
which the author has often heard expressed—“ that of 
reliable information on the venomous snakes of India.” 
Dr. Fayrer divides his subject into several sections, the 
first relating to the zoological and anatomical character 
of the venomous serpents of India, the others treating of 
the statistics of deaths caused by their bites, of the mode 
of treatment of such cases, and of numerous experiments 
undertaken by the author with a view of ascertaining the 
influence of snake-poisons, and the value of certain re- 
puted antidotes. On each of these subjects we will make 
a few remarks, 
As regards the more strictly scientific portion of the 
volume, Dr. Fayrer informs us candidly that we are not 
to expect anything original. “ The classification and de- 
finitions are chiefly taken from, or based on, Giinther, or 
other authors of repute, the anatomical descriptions from 
Owen and Huxley ; and to those authorities I make my 
acknowledgments for much valuable information, remark- 
ing, at the same time, that I have carefully verified their 
descriptions by comparison with, and by dissections of, 
the snakes themselves.” In this passage we think that it — 
is not made sufficiently clear that the whole of the first 
section of Dr. Fayrer’s work is based upon Dr. Giinther’s 
