430 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIV. No. 1401 



Wheeler encamped on the glacier below the north 

 col. 



On the 24th they ascended the north col, con- 

 necting Everest with the north peak, to 23,000 

 ft., finding the northeast arete quite possible, but 

 they were driven back by a furious northwesterly 

 gale, lasting four days, with intense cold, and 

 making all climbing impossible. 



All the party are in good health. The reeon- 

 aissance of Mount Everest is now completed. 



The Times writes : 



The expedition started from DarjeeUng on May 

 18 and 19, and, taking its way through the switch- 

 back mountains of Sikkim, entered Tibet and then 

 made westward to Tingri Dzong — north-north- 

 west of Everest, which place was made the base 

 for the exploration of the north and northwestern 

 faces of the mountain. The utmost care had 

 been taken in the fitting out of the expedition, but 

 transport difficulties soon developed, for the mules 

 supplied by the Indian Government broke down 

 completely. Fortunately, Colonel Howard Bury 

 was able to supply this deficiency locally. 



The work of exploring the northwest approaches 

 to Everest began on June 23, and on July 3 

 Messrs. MaUory and Bullock succeeding in climb- 

 ing a peak over 23,000 ft. high. But means of 

 ascent of Everest itself on this side proved utterly 

 lacking — terrible precipices, descending 10,000 ft. 

 on to a huge glacier, blocked the way. Even 

 supposing that the rock summits at 20,000 ft. were 

 gained — which seemed just possible — hard rock- 

 climbing for the remaining 4,000 ft. was out 

 of the question at that altitude. 



As the north and west approaches had proved 

 impracticable, camp was moved up Kharta at the 

 end of July, and August devoted to reconnoitering 

 the east side of the mountain. Here, again, dis- 

 appointment awaited the climbers, for, as on the 

 north and northwest, the eastern approaches were 

 found to be guarded by huge precipices. 



As a last resort the climbers then determined 

 to follow up the Kharta-Tsangpo, a glacier stream, 

 to its source, and it is in this direction that suc- 

 cess has at length been obtained. A reeonaissanee 

 early in August had shown the climbers a hitherto 

 unknown valley which seemed to ofEer a practical 

 route, and they reached a col nearly 23,000 ft. 

 up looking on to the north ridge of Everest. The 

 weather, however, had broken, and the climbers 

 had to return to Kharta for a rest. They left 

 Kharta again on August 31, and the telegram 



received to-day from Colonel Howard Bury tells of 

 the happy ending to their endeavours. 



Apart from this discovery of a way up the 

 mountain, over 9,000 square miles of new terri- 

 tory have been surveyed. 



THE LABORATORY OF THE MIAMI AQUARIUM 

 ASSOCIATION 



Students of marine life and especially those 

 interested in fishes will he gratified to know of 

 the estahlishment of a seaside laboratory by the 

 Miami Aquarium Association at Miami Beach, 

 Florida. The laboratory occupies the second 

 floor in the south wing of the aquarium build- 

 ing and has accommodations for about ten in- 

 vestigators. It is provided with running fresh 

 and salt water, with the usual laboratory out- 

 fit, and with reagent and photographic rooms. 

 Materials for study are abundantly supplied 

 from the large stock of the aquarium and from 

 the neighboring waters. The aquarium runs 

 a fleet of collecting boats including gasoline 

 launches and three sea-going vessels: the Alli- 

 soni, moved by sail and gasoline, provided wAh 

 live wells, and adapted to cruises of several 

 days' length; L' Apache, a seventy-foot cruiser; 

 and the Sea Horse, an eighty-flve-foot, high- 

 power cruising yacht just put into commission. 

 In this way collecting trips may be made to the 

 shoals in Biscayne Bay, the reefs in the open 

 ocean, the Gulf Stream three miles distant, 

 and to the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. 



During a sojourn at the laboratory from the 

 latter part of last May till the middle of July 

 a great variety of interesting forms were met 

 with. Physalia, the Portuguese man-of-war, 

 with its symbiotic fish Nomeus, was abundant 

 in the shore waters. During the latter part of 

 June it was actively reproducing. At the same 

 time the large rhizostomous jelly-fish Stomolo- 

 plius was to be seen in great numbers off the 

 coast. On the bank in Biscayne Bay the 

 spiny sea-urchin Diadema and the giant conch 

 Stroinbus were common. Spiny lobsters were 

 always obtainable in great numbers. During 

 July the eggs of the loggerhead turtle were 

 hatching and sets of these were brought into 

 the laboratory and studied there. But above 

 all the region is immensely rich in the great 

 variety of its highly colored, tropical fishes. 



