March 27, 1884] 



NATURE 



509 



glands are due the changes so frequently occurring in 

 the colour of the hair and of the other cutaneous organs. 

 Here also the pathologic action passes step by step from 

 its most aggravated forms to its lightest phases, merging 

 at last in simple physiological functions. The dark races, 

 notably the Negroes, have had their origin in malarious 

 regions, whose influence generates in serious cases a 

 deposit of pigment or melanosis, occasionally manifested 

 under the form of black tumours. The observations 

 made by Prof. Klebs and others in the Pontine Marshes 

 and Roman Campagna, show that the malaria is caused 

 by a certain bacillus developed in the soil of those dis- 

 tricts. Hence it may in this case be admitted that patho- 

 logical actions of a comparatively mild form may exercise 

 a modifying influence on the structural development of 

 man. They should perhaps even be regarded as the true 

 causes of the evolution of human types. 



However crude and even unsatisfactory these views, 

 they will doubtless serve a useful purpose by directing 

 attention to a hitherto neglected field of research. They 

 at all events reopen the whole question of the origin of 

 human varieties, a question which cannot be considered 

 as closed until monogenists and polygenists have recon- 

 ciled their diflerences. The author's theory seems so far 

 to support the monogenist school, inasmuch as it tends 

 to account for present diversity by natural causes, without 

 the necessity of having recourse to several independent 

 centres of human evolution. The weak point of the 

 theory seems to be that these natural causes are them- 

 selves confessedly of an exceptional character. It re- 

 quires us to believe that the human varieties were evolved 

 under morbid, that is, abnormal, conditions. Before that 

 conclusion can be accepted, it will be necessary to show 

 that the normal conditions of climate, diet, and so forth, 

 were inadequate for the purpose. Unless this is done, 

 the normal will probably continue to be regarded as, 

 cateris paribus, more efficacious than the abnormal 

 causes. A. H. Keane 



THE GERMAN EXPEDITION TO SOUTH 

 GEORGIA 



'T'HE following is an abstract of the report of the German 

 -'■ Meteorological Expedition which was despatched 

 under the international scheme to South Georgia Island, 

 in lat. 54" S. and long. 37° W. 



The Expedition, which was chosen by a Commission 

 appointed by the German Government, consisted of the 

 following members : — Dr. C. Schrader, chief, observer of 

 the Hamburg Cibservatory ; Dr. P. Vogel, sub chief, 

 mathematical instructor in Munich ; Dr. C. von der 

 Steinen, physician and zoologist, physician at the 

 Charitd Hospital in Berlin; Dr. H. Will, botanist, of 

 the Forest Academy ; Dr. O. Glaus, mathematician ; 

 Herren E. Mosthoff, engineer, and A. Zschau, assistant ; 

 and a few sailors. 



The object of the Expedition was to effect meteorological 

 and magnetic observations, and to study the physical 

 condition and the flora and fauna of the island, as well, 

 as far as permissible, to observe the transit of Venus 

 on December 6, 18S2. 



The Expedition arrived at Monte Video on July 4, 

 1882, by one of the Hamburg liners, and left that place 

 on the 23rd on board the German man-of-war Mollke, 

 after having adjusted their instruments and obtained a 

 few domestic animals. 



After twenty days' sailing the island was sighted ; on 

 August 20 the ship reached Royal Bay on the east coast. 

 On the shore preparations were at once begun for re- 

 moving the metre-deep snow, and erecting the dwelling 

 house, 11x8 metres, two smaller houses for the mag- 

 netic observ-ations, an astronomical observatory, and a 

 small tower. A house was also built for the cattle. 



All the scientific members, with the exception of those 



on the watch for reading the meteorological and mag- 

 netic instruments, met daily in the work-room from 

 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 2 to 6 p.m., to execute the 

 scientific labours. 



The instruments were read every hour, while the 

 watches of the twenty-four hours were divided so that 

 two members w-ere on duty, the one from 3 to 9 a.m., and 

 from 3 to 9 p.m., and the other from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 

 and again from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., and in this manner each 

 member had two days' watch in the week. On the 1st 

 and 15th of every month magnetic observations were 

 effected every fifth minute, and for one hour on these 

 days every twentieth second. But the labour was not 

 found to be at all too heavy. 



The lowest temperature registered was — 14° €., and 

 the highest on one single occasion 18° C., but the 

 thermometer varied generally in all seasons between — 5° 

 and + 7° C, so that the difterence between winter and 

 summer consisted chiefly in the length of the days. 

 Once during the winter — in August — the phenomenon 

 occurred of the thermometer during, with a heavy westerly 

 gale, to 14" C. The westerly and partly south-westerly 

 winds were, during the winter, the warmest, which was 

 ascribed to the circumstance that these passed over 

 mountains some 2000 metres in height protecting the 

 station on one side, which made them '' Fohn-like." 



The barometer readings varied between 715 and 

 770 mm. The lowest readings were never attended by 

 violent storms ; these occurred always quite unexpectedly 

 when the glass stood at "fair." The force of the storms, 

 which generally lasted twelve to twenty-four hours, and 

 reaching the island seven to eight times a month, was 

 calculated by a splendid Racknagel anemometer. The 

 tide was carefully measured by ebb and flood gauges. 



Falls of rain or snow were very rare during the year, 

 and the plateau surrounding Royal Bay was already, in 

 August, free from snow, and became first in April, when 

 the ground was frozen, covered with snow. It snowed, 

 however, several times in the middle of the summer, as, 

 for instance, at Christmas. 



The most frequent winds were those from west and 

 south-west ; the northerly ones always brought fog. In 

 the summer the weather was nearly always thick and 

 hazy, which greatly impeded excursions. Such were, 

 nevertheless, undertaken several times, and the highest 

 peaks of the arms — about 700 m. — of the chain of moun- 

 tains running through the island were ascended. The 

 central mountains range from 2000 m. to 3000 m. The 

 climbing of the slate rocks was very difficult and fatiguing, 

 and in spite of every effort the greatest distance covered 

 was only about a German geographical mile, and the task 

 of exploring the island was impossible of accomplishment, 

 as the glaciers could not be passed by the small force at 

 disposal. The mountains fell often abruptly into the sea, 

 and the highest tops were about 15 km. from the station. 

 The peaks of the above-mentioned arms were free from 

 snow in the summer, and then covered with various kinds 

 of moss. 



The only rock found was clay-slate, in some places 

 interspersed with varieties of quartz. Even the blocks 

 carried down by the glaciers from the central part of the 

 island — which was not reached — were of the same nature. 

 No metals were found, but the slate rock contained a 

 little iron ; the quantity was, however, so small that it 

 hardly affected the needle. 



No land mammalia were found on the island, and ot 

 maritime mammals only the sea-elephant [Phoca pro- 

 boscidca) and the sea-leopard, the latter in very small 

 numbers. They did not breed in the bay. Of birds there 

 were several. Two kinds of penguins (Konig and Esel) 

 visited the island in great numbers, making their nests 

 there, which always faced the sun. The eggs were very 

 delicious. During the pairing-season large quantities of 

 Procellaria giga?itea came to the island, whose eggs were 



