DECEMBER 29, 1899. ] 
The chief object of the expedition was a de- 
tailed geological investigation of the island. 
This has been successfully carried out with 
valuable results. A large collection of fossil 
plants from the coal-bearing series has been 
made; numerous fossils have been collected 
from all the marine strata, especially from the 
Trias. A geological map of the whole island 
has been constructed. The stratigraphy and 
tectonic geology of the whole island has been 
worked out, and there have been discovered in 
the southern part of the island a series of dis- 
locations of Carboniferous age, which explains 
the topography of the hilly regions and the 
varying development of the Carboniferous sys- 
tem at various points. 
Mr. Gunnar Andersson and his companions 
are to be congratulated on the amount of solid 
work they have accomplished, and we look for- 
ward to the publication of the detailed results 
with much interest. It should be mentioned 
that the proprietor of Beeren Hiland, Mr. Ler- 
ner (who happens to be a German), has helped 
the expedition, and hopes to welcome it back in 
some future year. 
THE STOCKHOLM FISHERIES CONFERENCE.* 
Ir is too soon yet to say that the Interna- 
tional Fisheries Conference, which met at Stock- 
holm this summer, will have any practical out- 
come ; but the report of its proceedings suggests 
a general plan of investigations as regards 
hydrographical and biological work which, if 
properly organized and supported, should cer- 
tainly be productive of useful and valuable re- 
sults. The object of her Majesty’s Government 
in deciding to take part in the conference may 
be best summarized in the language of the in- 
structions given to Sir John Murray, one of the 
British delegates : 
“You should propose that the scientific investiga- 
tions shall be accompanied by a practical exposé of the 
steps to be taken in order to bring the exercise of sea- 
fishing more in accord with the natural conditions 
regulating the growth and increase of the fish, and 
thus permanently increase the supply of fish in the 
markets of the countries adjoining the North Sea. 
“In making this proposal, which you should do at 
the outset, you should make it clear that the prin- 
* From the London Times. 
SCIENCE. 
977 
cipal object which her Majesty’s Government have in 
view, in directing you to take part in the conference, 
is to secure a careful inquiry into the effect of present 
methods of fishing in the North Sea, and you should 
give every assistance in promoting a scheme for deter- 
mining whether protection against overfishing is 
needed, and, if so, where, when and how such pro- 
tection should be given.’’ 
The countries taking part in the conference 
were Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Den- 
mark, Norway, Sweden and Holland. The 
representatives of the United Kingdom were 
Sir John Murray, of the Challenger Expedition, 
Mr. W. Archer, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, 
and Professor W. D’Arcy Thompson, of Dun- 
dee University, while Dr. Nansen was one of 
the delegates from Norway. 
Most persons who have given a thought to 
the subject must be convinced that a rational 
treatment of fishery questions should be based 
.on scientific inquiry ; and in the opinion of the 
conference the best way of arriving at satisfac- 
tory results in this direction is by international 
cooperation. The scheme of investigations, 
having for its ultimate object the promotion 
and improvement of fisheries through interna- 
tional agreements, which the conference re- 
solved to recommend to the Governments of the 
countries concerned, embraces a program for 
hydrographical and biological work in the 
northern parts of the Atlantic Ocean, the North 
Sea, and the Baltic and adjoining seas. These 
investigations, it is added, should be carried 
out for a period of at least five years. 
Among the hydrographical researches pro- 
posed are: The distinction of the different 
water-strata, according to their geographical 
distribution, their depths, their temperature, 
salinity, gas-contents, plankton, and currents, 
in order to find the fundamental principles 
not only for the determination of the ex- 
ternal conditions of the useful marine ani- 
mals, but also for weather forecasts for ex- 
tended periods in the interests of agriculture. 
The biological work would include the deter- 
mination of the topographical and bathymetri- 
cal distribution of eges and larve of marine 
economic fishes ; the continued investigation of 
the life, history and conditions of life of young 
fishes of economic species in their post-larval 
stages, with special reference to their local dis- 
