340 



NATURE 



[_Feh. lo, 1881 



inclosed slabs of ice, and torn them from the unfrozen and softer 

 peat below. The slabs may be compared to sandwiches, the ice 

 representing the meat. The ice is evidently fresh-water ice, and 

 possesses a striated prismatic structure at ri^ht angles to its 

 surface. In places it protrudes like a tongue from the peat, and 

 is then occasionally perforated with round holes evidently melted 

 through it. 



Is it not possible that some of the beds mentioned by geolo- 

 gists in Russia and North America, consisting of alternate layers 

 of ice and earth or gravel, may have been formed similarly by 

 percolation of water, and not be truly bedded, but intrusive ? 

 T. Mellard Reade 



Park Corner, Blundellsands, January 30 



P.S. — Since writing the above I have again visited the shore 

 to-day, but all the slabs have Ijeen rafted out to sea by the high 

 tide. With my geological hammer I broke off some of the 

 fi'ozen peat in situ, and find the explanation given to be sub- 

 stantially correct ; but I also fjund that the u|)|ier layer of peat 

 was minutely and beautifully interlaminated uith ice. It is quite 

 evident that the ice is the frozen water which has percolated 

 from the sand-hills. 



January 31 



The Squirrel Crossing Water 



Never having heard of the squirrel taking to the water, I send 

 the following authentic communication. I had lieard the story 

 told by another per^on, and thinking it of sufficient interest I 

 requested her to get it in dctad from the lady unjer whose 

 personal observation it had come. This the Utter has most 

 kindly complied with, and I forward it, trusting it may prove of 

 interest to some of the readers of Nature interested in the 

 habits of animals. Loch Voil, in Perthshire, near Balquhidder, 

 is about four miles in length, with a mean breadth of about one 

 third of a mile — a considerable extent of water for so small a 

 rodent to face and cio-^-, in search, I suppose, of new nutting 

 grounds. 



H. H. Godwin-Austen 



Thalford House, near Guildford, February 5 



" Mountqithauit', Cupar Fife 

 " When rowing two ladies down Loch Voil, one afternoon last 

 August, I observed what looked like a little stripe of red brown 

 fur in the middle of the loch. On coming nearer we saw that it 

 was a squirrel swimming across, its tail lying Hat on the water. 

 We then heard its claws scratching on the side of the boat, and 

 to our surprise the little bedraggled sprite appeared on the bow 

 of the boat. It was evidently tired, for it sat quite still, staring 

 at us and panting. I ro«ed on towards the shore, hoping to be 

 able to ferry it across, but after a few minutes it scrambled down 

 to the water again and resumed its journey, probably frightened 

 at the sight of the collie dog who was in the boat. We watched 

 it swimming till it looked like a small speck cl jse to the shore, 

 but lost sight of it before it landed.'' 



Sea-waves.— E. B. P., iS, Cromwell Place, S.W., asks: 

 Can any reader of Nature inform me as to in what books or 

 pamphlets I can obtain the best information relating to tli; 

 height and length of sea-waves, especially wlien considered m 

 relation to the navigation of vessels ? 



BARON NORDENSKJULD IN FINLAND ' 



A S is known, Baron Nordenskjold was born in Finland, 

 -'*- and completed his studies at the University of Hel- 

 singfors. After his recent visit to St. Petersburg, where 

 the celebrated explorer was made much of, he promised 

 to stop at Helsingfors a {&\'i days, for the first time after 

 his successful discovery of the North-East Passage and his 

 circumnavigation of the Eurasian Continent. Having pre- 

 viously paid a short visit to his paternal hall (Frugard),. Nor- 

 denskjold, accompanied by the Baroness his wife, arrived 

 at Helsingfors on the evening of January 13. He was 

 received at the railway station by a deputation consisting 

 of the Rector of the University, Mr. H. Lagus ; the 



^ From a Helsingfors Correspondent. 



President of the Finnish Society of Science, Mr. G. 

 Mittag-LefHer ; the Secretary, Mr. L. L. Lindeldf, and 

 others, as well as a select chorus of students, who sang a 

 few patriotic songs. Before the station-house a crowd 

 numbering thousands of people stood cheering and 

 greeting him. 



On January 14 the Society of Science had arranged a 

 special meeting, to which friends and followers of science 

 had been invited, and at which were present members of 

 Government, professors of the University, a few of the 

 higher military dignitaries, and a great rnany fashionables 

 of the town, ladies as well as gentlemen. After an inter- 

 esting lecture '• On the Religions of the Populations of 

 Siberia" by the linguist, Prof. A. Ahlquist, the President 

 of the Society of Science, Mr. Mittag-Leffler, presented 

 to Baron Nordenskjold a gold meda! struck by order of 

 the Society of Science, in memory of their renowned 

 countryman and honorary member, and of the remarkable 

 historical event. The presentation of the medal was 

 accompanied by an address, in which it was stated that 

 the Society of Science, being neither wealthy nor nume- 

 rous, and well remembering to what a little nation it 

 belonged, could not and would not try to compete with the 

 many eminent scientific societies which had already 

 honoured him with their grants and gifts. Yet the Society of 

 Sciencehoped Baron Nordenskjold would kindlyacceptthis 

 tribute of admiration, as having issued from his native 

 country. Nordenskjold expressed his gratitude in a 

 hearty manner, and then gave a lecture on his " Observa- 

 tions of the Northern Lights at Behring Strait," which 

 greatly excited the interest of his audience. Nordenskjold 

 was then entertained at dinner by the Scientific Society 

 and the University, at which entertainment toasts were 

 given in honour of Baron Nordenskjold, the Baroness, 

 and the members of the Vega Expedition. At the close 

 of the dinner a torchlight procession, arranged by students, 

 appeared, paying homage to their celebrated countryman 

 by singing and cheering. 



The Helsingfors Skating Club having meanwhile 

 adorned its skating-rink on the ice with electric lights 

 and innumerable lamps and torches, then had a visit from 

 the Baron. He was received with singing by a student 

 chorus, followed by the appearance of two polar bears 

 with a chair on skates, who, giving him kind regards from 

 Spitzbergen and Siberia, took him at a tremendous rate 

 up to a pretty little ice temple, where he was greeted by 

 twelve young ladies and gentlemen, all dressed in the 

 picturesque costumes of the Chukchis. These gave him 

 a hearty welcome, and then, with the bears, per- 

 formed a characteristic dance on skates. Surrounded by 

 thousands of cheering spectators, he was taken back to 

 his carriage again by the bears. In expressing his grati- 

 tude Nordenskjold said that if the Chukchis, and especially 

 the ladies, had been so civilised he would most certainly 

 not have left them so soon. 



The following day he was invited to dinner by the 

 Governor-General of Finland, Count Adlerberg, and in 

 the evening the inhabitants of Helsingfors gave a splendid 

 banquet, at which toasts were given in honour of the 

 Emperor Alexander II. and King Oscar II., followed by 

 a speech by Prof. L. L. Lindeldf, relating Baron Nord- 

 enskjold's great deed, and inviting the audience to drink 

 to his health. Other toasts were also given in honour of 

 the Baroness Nordenskjold, the promoters and members 

 of the I'^ega Expedition, the Fatherland, &c. Norden- 

 skjold' s appearance in Finland excited great rejoicing 

 everywhere, but amid that rejoicing the melancholy 

 thought occurred to one's mind that he had been denied 

 the opportunity of living, and acting, and working in his 

 own country. 



On January 16, early in the morning, he left Helsing- 

 fors ; once more the singing of the students sounded on 

 the platform amid loud cries of " Hurrah " from friends 

 and admirers. 



