March 30, 1883.] 



SCIENCE. 



229 



deep gorges. The rain, brought by southerly winds, 

 was 58.59 inches on 154 days in 1880 at Grant f3,700 

 feet above sea-level in the basin of Mitchell Eivor, 

 south of the dividing-range), and 29.92 inches on 114 

 days in the same year at Omeo (2,108, altitude north 

 of the range). The article is chiefly devoted to the 

 detailed topography of the Mitta Mitta basin north of 

 the divide. — {Trans, roy. soc. Victoria, xviii. 1882, 

 98.) w. M. D. [502 



GEOGRAPHY. 

 (A--iia.) 



Northern Persia. — A plane-table route survey 

 from Tehran to Astrabad, by Lieut -Col. Beresford 

 Lovett, Bi'itish consul at the latter place, gives a con- 

 siderable addition to the knowledge of the topography 

 of that region. His way led generally along the north- 

 ern slope of tlie Elbruz mountains, continual! j crossing 

 over passes between valleys opening northward to the 

 Caspian. Notes are given on the altitudes, distances, 

 and roads between stopping-places; the character of 

 the towns, and the supplies tbey afford; and very 

 briefly on the appearance and structure of the coun- 

 try. On nearing Astrabad, the northern mountain 

 slopes were found covered with luxuriant forests of 

 elms, oaks, and beeches; but, on crossing the Shah- 

 war mountains, on a second trip south-east from As- 

 trabad to Sliahrud, the country was found very dry 

 and barren. At other points it was noticed that the 

 moist winds from the Caspian formed clouds only on 

 the northern sides of tlie mountain-ranges. It was 

 found that the plains of the Lar (Harhaz) river, south- 

 west of the great volcano Deinavend, were formed as 

 lake-beds during a time when lava-flows south of the 

 volcano held back the river. A gorge has since been 

 cut llirough the barrier, so that the lake has now 

 disappeared. No granite or 'trap rock' was seen. 

 Tlie mountain summits were of compact limestone; 

 and the valleys showed marls, sandstones, and shales. 

 A geological section of very doubtful value is given 

 of the mountains south of Astrabad. — {Proc. roy. 

 geonr. soc, 1883, 57; map.) w. m. d. [503 



Eastern Turkestan. — This region was visited 

 from India by Shaw in 1872, who was well received 

 by tlie local authorities, and found good opportunities 

 for trade; but further attempts at intercourse were 

 stopped by the Mohammedan rebellion under Yakub 

 Beg (Atalik Ghazi) against the Chinese. While this 

 movement was successful. Sir Douglas Forsythe's 

 mii-sion crossed the mountains, and again found en- 

 couragement for commercial enterprise. A second 

 interruption came on the defeat and death of Yakub 

 Beg, and the reoonquest of eastern Turkestan by the 

 Cliinese. Two years ago Ney Ellas, British resident 

 at Leh in Ladak, made the same trip, and met with 

 no opposition. Lastly, Mr. A. Dalgleish, a merchant 

 in liulia, conducted a trading-caravan across the 

 mountains, and staid ten months in Kashgar, where 

 he was well received, and successfully disposed of his 

 gooils. He has lately returned, and proposes to go 

 again. — (^4.(/ienae«);!, Feb. 10.) w. M. D. [504 



Tibet and the Sanpo. — One of the pundits 

 trained for trans-Himalayan exploration has lately 

 returned to India, with all his journals and instru- 

 ments, after an absence of foiu' years, in spite of the 

 report, pi-eviously received, that liis legs had been 

 broken to prevent his further travels, and that his 

 companion had been executed by the authorities at 

 Lhassa. He was twice robbed of nearly all his prop- 

 erty, and was twice forced to work for his support; 

 but he took many observations for latitude, and re- 

 corded much of his route. After leaving Lhassa, 

 the attempt was made to reacli Lob-nor (Prejevalsky 



had not then been there). The farthest points reached 

 were Saithang and Saitu (lat. 40°, long. 92°), thus 

 failing of the object only by a comparatively short 

 distance. On returning, he went to Batang, and de- 

 sired to cross into Assam, but turned back, as savage 

 tribes were reported on the frontier, and went west- 

 ward toward Lhassa, stopping short of this place, 

 however, tor fear of being recognized there, and cross- 

 ing the Sanpo at Tchetang. Gen. Walker, of the 

 Indian survey, regards the route followed from Batang 

 as giving good evidence that the Sanpo does not join 

 the Irawadi : for, if it did, the pundit must have crossed 

 it three times; while he is confident that he crossed it 

 only once, and that a great range of hills cuts it off 

 from the rivers on the east. — (Proc. roy. geor/r. soc, 

 1883, 99.) w. M. D. [505 



(Pacific Ocean.) 

 Arctic currents. — Professor Davidson read a 

 paper, prepared by Cajit. Hooper, who commanded 

 the 'Corwin' in the Arctic, upon th^ currents deter- 

 mined in his last cruise in Bering Sea, Bering Strait, 

 and the Arctic Ocean south of Herald Island. The 

 data were abstracted from the records of the vessel, 

 and demonstrated the prevalence of a current set- 

 ting through the Bering Strait to the Arctic. The 

 observations were specially directed to this point; 

 and Capt. Hooper's experience of the pi-evious year, 

 and his appreciation of the difficulties atletiding the 

 question, add special value to his deductions on this 

 question. Tlie president recalled the results of for- 

 mer observations, weighing their relative values, and 

 gave the fullest credit to the ' Corwin's ' work. — 

 {Proc Calif, acad. sc; meeting March 5.) [506 



BOTANY. 



Freezing of liquids in living vegetable tissue. 



— Mr. Thomas Meehan referred to the prevalent 

 opinion that the liquid in vegetable tissues congeals 

 as ordinary liquids do, and, expanding, often causes 

 trees to burst with an explosive sound. Experiments 

 on young and vigorous trees varying from one foot 

 to three feet in diameter demonstrated that in no 

 instance was there the slightest tendency to expan- 

 sion; while, in the case of a large maple (Acer dasy- 

 carpum) three feet eleven inches and a half in cir- 

 cumference, there appeared to be a contraction of an 

 eighth of an inch. In dead wood soaked with water 

 there was an evident expansion ; and the cleavage 

 with explosion, noted in the case of forest-trees in 

 liigli northern regions, may result from the freezing 

 of liquid in the centre or less vital parts of the 

 trunks. In some hardy succulents, however, instead 

 of expansion under frost, there was a marked con- 

 traction. The joints or sections of stem in Opuntia 

 Rafinesquei and allied species shrink remarkably with 

 the lowering of the temperature, so that the whole 

 surface in winter is very much wrinkled. Assuming 

 as a fact tliat the liquids in plants whicli are known 

 to endure frost without injury did not congeal, it 

 might be a question as to what power enabled this 

 successful resistance. It was probably a vital power; 

 for the sap of plants, after it was drawn from them, 

 congealed easily. In the large maple-tree already re- 

 ferred to, the juices not solidified in the tree exude 

 from the wounded portion, and then freeze, hanging 

 from the trees as icicles, often six inches long. — 

 {Acad. nat. sc Philad.; meeting hot. sect., March 13.) 



[507 



Autoxidation in living vegetable cells. — 



Traube has given the name ' autoxijdahle korper,' or, 



as we must clumsily translate the new term, autoxi- 



dizable substances, to those bodies which, at a low 



