August 10, 18S3.] 



SCIENCE. 



117 



with tlie markings on adjacent plates: one may be 

 covered by tlie markings, the next free from them. 

 Tlie magnetite does not penetrate, but lies superfi- 

 cially upon the mica plates, and the lines follow the 

 direction of the rays of the strike-figure. The author 

 regards the magnetite as not derived from any exter- 

 nal source, but from the iiiuscovite itself, occurring, 

 not along cracks or near the exterior of the crystals, 

 but grouped in the interior of the same. — [Proc. 

 acad. nat.sc. Philad., Dec, \SS2.) s. l. p. [182 



GEOGRAPHY. 



(A'wro/Jf.) 



Deformation of the earth's surface. — .T. Girard 

 calls attention to some. intiTesting observations on 

 apparent changes of level of neighboring points. 

 One account attested by Girardet (Exploi-atinn. .lune, 

 1SS2) is of villages in the Jura wliicli were hidden 

 from each other at the beginning of the century, or 

 even only forty years ago, but are now in sisht. Fir<t 

 the roofs, and later the walls, became visible by the 

 slow warping of the ground. Another example is 

 recorded in Bohemia, about thirty miles south of 

 Karlsbad, where the people of Hohen Zedli~eh are 

 convinced that their village is rising; for thirty years 

 ago they could see only the top of the church-spire 

 in Ottenreuth, while now more than half of it is in 

 view, and some roofs of lower buildings have also 

 risen into sight. A line of levels has been run here 

 to detect any further changes {Comjres .sc. (leogr., 

 18".i). Girard does not attempt any crillcism of 

 these statements, but accept* them as proved. There 

 would seem to be room for other explanations than 

 the one suggested. — {liev. de yeoijr., 1883, 340) 



W. M. D. 1 183 



Maps of Norway. — The Norwegian geographical 

 survey (Geografiske opmaaling) has published maps 

 as follows: a guide-map, sliowing the progress of 

 triangulation from 177il to 1S7G (only a small part of 

 this work remains unfinistied), — based upon this are 

 several topographic maps on various scales; for the 

 southern part of the country some are even 1 : .50,000 

 (or 1 : 10,(X)0), in many sheets; the general map of 

 southern Norway (1:400,000), in eighteen sheets; 

 district-maps (1 : 200,000); and rectangle-maps (1 : 

 100,000), in fifty-four sections, with contours and 

 mountain shading, and the larger bodies of water in 

 blue. This serves as a basis for the geological survey 

 under Prof. Th. Kjerulf. A general geological map 

 (1:1,000,000) is also publislied. The coast-survey 

 publishes charts of the southern shores on 1 : .">0,000; 

 of the northern, on 1 : KKl.OOO. Thirty-two of the for- 

 mer and thirteen of the latter are completed. Besides 

 these, there are a general coast-map (1 : 200,000) in 

 thirteen sheets, and another on a smaller scale in five 

 sheets, and fishery-maps (1 : 100,000) in eleven sheets. 

 — {Miltk. geogr. ges. Wien, xxvi. 1SS3, 190.) w. M. d. 



[184 

 The Bavarian forest. — The physical features of 

 this submountainous district, extending north of the 

 Danube below Regensburg, are described under its 

 topography and geology by Dr. C. W. von Giimbel, 

 and its climatic relations by Dr. Ebermayer. The 



article is hardly susceptible of concentration, and we 

 reproduce only what is saiil concerning the glaciation 

 of the higher ground conteniporjineous with that of 

 the .\lps. It is admitted that the diluvial deposits 

 do not point with distinctness to glacial action, that 

 strialions and moraine-walls can hardly be recog- 

 nized, and that the characteristic morainic landsca|>c, 

 so pronounced near the a4ljncent Alps, is absent here; 

 but the numerous small lakes in the higher parts of 

 the country (Arber-, Rachel-, Bestrltzer-, (iirgl-See 

 and others), and the plentiful peat-swamps, the re- 

 mains of extinct waler-basins, are accepted as evi- 

 dence of former gl.aciation. Among aJl the lakes, 

 there is not one which cannot be explained as re- 

 sulting either from local glacial erosion, or from ob- 

 struction of old valleys by drift-deposits. — (Deuturhe 

 yeogr. blatter, vl. isk, 21.) w. m. d. |185 



(Alia.) 



Telegraph-line in China. — Since the destruction 

 of the short railroad from Shanghai to Wnsung hy 

 the Chinese shortly after its building in 1S77. it has 

 been thought that theie would be opi)Osition to fur- 

 ther introduction of foreign contrivances; and two 

 years ago, when the construction of a telegraph-line 

 was begun between Shanghai and Tientsin, a party 

 of soldiers was detailed to guard the foreign engi- 

 neers employed on it. The caution proved unneces- 

 sary: and the chief difficulties encountered were the 

 numerous canals, some of which hail to be crossed by 

 cables. The want of good roads was a serious embar- 

 rassment when the line ran .at a distance from the 

 grand canal. The line is !l:;8 miles in lenglli, and 

 required nearly twenty thousand poles. The con- 

 struction was begun in June, 1881, at the two ter- 

 mini, anil in Dooeniber was opiMinl to public use. 

 — {FH.'ieinir. miUlt., KS'^:}, 2:U.) w. M. I). [186 



Explorations in Cambodia. — Dr. Ni5is an- 

 noiMices his arrival in Laos, on the border of Si.am. 

 From Sambok to Sonibor the Mekong River is a con- 

 tinuous series of rapids, passable only for the native 

 canoes. Thence above to liaos the left bank is 

 encumbered with shoals. The country is chiefly 

 covered with forests, which, along the river, are 

 infested by Chinese pirates, who render river-traffic 

 between Laos and Cambodia very limited. Laos 

 contains some two hundred houses, and two thou- 

 sand inhabitants, — Laotians and Chinese, who raise 

 cotton and rice. The commerce is small, iron money 

 is in use, and the Chinese are the chief traders. 

 The ruins de-cribed bv Gamier, to examine which 

 was tlie chief object of the expedition, were visited. 

 'Sn inscriptions were found, and but a few interest- 

 ing carvings. A sort of oven was filled with thou- 

 sands of pieces of bark stamped, like medals, with 

 three figures of Buddha: some retained traces of 

 color and gililing. Some statuettes of Buddha of 

 faience were found in a vessel embedded in the cem- 

 ent of the oven. Dr. XiSis found the fauna of Laos 

 essentially the same as that of Cambodia. He in- 

 tended, at the date of writing, to penetrate as far as 

 Bassak, in Siam, where he wouhl endeavor to obtain 

 as complete collections as possible. — {Comptcs ren- 

 dua HOC. gioyr., no. 11.) w. u. d. |187 



