800 SCIENCE. 
annia procured 477 deep soundings in the 
North Atlantic, besides a large collection of 
deep-sea deposits, and many deep-sea tem- 
perature and current observations. 
The French have been extending the 
valuable work of the Talisman and Travail- 
leur, while the Prince of Monaco is at the 
present moment carrying on his oceanic in- 
vestigations in the Arctic Seas with a large 
new yacht elaborately and specially fitted 
out for such work. The Russians have re- 
cently been engaged in the scientific ex- 
ploration of the Black Sea and the Caspian 
Sea, and a special ship is now employed in 
the investigation of the Arctic fisheries of 
the Murman coast under the direction of 
Professor Knipowitsch. Admiral Makaroff 
has this summer been hammering his way 
through Arctic ice, and at the same time 
carrying on a great variety of systematic 
observations and experiments on board the 
Yermak—the most powerful and most effec- 
tive instrument of marine research ever 
constructed. Mr. Alexander Agassiz has 
this year recommenced his deep-sea explor- 
ations in the Pacific on board the U.S. 
steamer Albatross. He proposes to cross the 
Pacific in several directions, and to conduct 
investigations among the Paumotu and 
other coral island groups. Professor Weber 
is similarly employed on board a Dutch 
man-of-war in the East Indian Seas. The 
Deutsche Seewarte at Hamburg, under the 
direction of Dr. Neumayer, continues its 
praiseworthy assistance and encouragement 
to all investigators of the ocean, and this 
year the important German Deep-sea Ex- 
pedition, in the s.s. Valdivia, arrived home 
after most successful oceanographical ex- 
plorations in the Atlantic, Indian, and 
Great Southern Oceans. 
The Belgica has returned to Europe safely 
with a wealth of geological and biological 
collections and physical observations, after 
spending, for the first time on record, a 
whole winter among the icefields and ice- 
[N. S. Vou. X. No. 257. 
bergs of the Antarctic. Mr. Borchgrevink 
in December last again penetrated to Cape 
Adare, successfully landed his party at that 
point, and is now wintering on the Ant- 
arctic continent. The expeditions of Lieu- 
tenant Peary, of Professor Nathorst, of Cap- 
tain Sverdrup, and of the Duke of Abbruzzi, 
which are now in progress, may be expected 
to yield much new information about the 
condition of the Arctic Ocean. Mr. Well- 
man has just returned from the north of 
Franz Josef Land, with observations of con- 
siderable interest. 
Some of the scientific results obtained by 
the expeditions in the Danish steamer Jn- 
golf have lately been published, and these, 
along with the results of the joint work 
pursued for many years by the Swedes, 
Danes, and Norwegians, may ultimately 
have great economic value from their di- 
rect bearing on Fishery problems, and on 
weather forecasting over long periods of 
time. 
Largely through the influence of Profes- 
sor Otto Pettersson an International Con- 
ference assembled at Stockholm a few 
months ago, for the purpose of deliberating 
as to a programme of conjoint scientific 
work in the North Sea and northern parts 
of the Atlantic, with special reference to the 
economic aspect of sea-fisheries. A pro- 
gramme was successfully drawn up, and an 
organization suggested for carrying it into 
effect; these proposals are now under the 
consideration of the several States. The 
Norwegian Government has voted a large 
sum of money for building a special vessel 
to conduct marine investigations of the 
nature recommended by this conference. 
It is to be hoped the other North Sea 
Powers may soon follow this excellent ex- 
ample. 
The various marine stations and labora- 
tories for scientific research in all parts of 
the world furnish each year much new 
knowledge concerning the ocean. Among 
