286 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. I., No. 10. 



dissolved easily in H NO;,, and which was regarded as 

 schreibereite, gave the formula (FejNijvP. A large 

 brass-colored, oblique crystal, showing perfect basal 

 cleavage, dissolved readily in aqua regia, but was 

 only slowly acted upon by HCl or by HNO;i alone, 

 and gave, on analysis, the formula (FeiiNi..,) P2. 

 Another crystal was found, which was apparently a 

 square prism, having brilliant metallic sides, with a 

 dark, almost black centre. Its analysis gave the 

 formula (Fe-Ni.2)s P. Graphite occurs occasionally 

 in this meteorite, both in nodules and in plates. The 

 nickeliferous iron was also examined for occluded 

 gases; and carbonic acid, carbonic oxide, hydrogen, 

 nitrogen, and marsh gases, amounting in bulk to 

 3.59 times the vohime of the iron, was extracted. 



It is to be regretted that more attention is not paid 

 by chemists to the question of the average composi- 

 tion of meteoric masses as a whole, instead of giving 

 their time exclusively to the analysis of the distinct 

 minerals the mass may hajipen to contain. — {Geol. 

 jna;/., Feb., 1883.) m. e. w. [604 



METEOEOLOGY. 

 Canadian ■weather-review for February, 



1883. — This review has lieen issued very promptly. 

 It consists of a compilation of items of interest relat- 

 ing to storms, temperature, precipitation, etc., for 

 Canada. The mean temperature was much below 

 the normal, especially in the maritime provinces. At 

 Sydney, C.15., the defect was 7.1°. A very important 

 table is presented, showing the total number of hours 

 of sunshine at thirteen stations of the dominion. 

 Since the well-being of crops is dependent, in large 

 measure, on the amount of sunshine, such records, it 

 would seem, would be of great value. The service 

 finds 71.2 per cent of its probabilities fully verified. 

 Full record is given of the special disturbances of the 

 magnetic needles at Toronto. These show very 

 markedly the intimate relation between the aurora 

 and magnetism, as has been known for many years. 

 Auroras were seen on the 1st, 4th, 22d, and 27th. 

 — II. A. H. [605 



State -weather-services. — The Ohio weather- 

 service has issued its report for January. This shows 

 an addition of six stations since the November report, 

 there being twenty-five in all at the present time. 

 Thirteen of the stations liave barometers. The ob- 

 servations, day by day, are published in full, and will 

 form a more satisfactory basis for more detailed study 

 than can be had from stations at greater intervals. 



The Tennessee weather-service has issued its first 

 monthly report for February. This shows that 

 twenty-two stations are now observing the weather, 

 and twenty-eight more are soon to .I'oin in the work. 

 It is to be hoped that these stations of observation 

 will not only add to our store of knowledge, but also 

 increase interest in a large mass of people to whom 

 an accurate forecast of the weather is of great conse- 

 quence. The observation of rainfall, for example, is 

 one of the simplest that can be made, and, all along 

 the watersheds of our rivers, would assist very mate- 

 rially in the discussion of floods, droughts, etc. — 

 H. A. H. [606 



GEOGRAPHY. 



Reviews. — 'Japans land wirtschaftliche und allge- 

 meinwirtschaftliche verhiiltnisse,' by Georg Liebscher 

 (Jena, 1882), is reviewed by Alf. Kirchhoff in Aus- 

 land, 1882, 881-887, 



The geographic observations in Nordenskiold's 

 ' Umsegelung Asiens und Europas auf der Vega ' 

 (Leipzig, 1882) are summarized in Ausland, 1882, 

 947-954. 



'In fernen osten; reisen des grafen Szechenyi in 

 den jahren 1877-1880,' by G. Kreitner (Vienna, 1881), 

 is reviewed by A. H. Keane in Nature, Dec. 21, 1882. 



Elwes' translation of Capello, and Ivens' narrative, 



' From Benguela to the territory of Yacca ' (London, 



1822), is noticed by E. C. Kye in Proc. roy. geogr. 



soc, iv. 701. — w. M. D. [607 



(.Africa.) 



Wissmana's letter from Cairo. — Under date of 

 Jan. 5, Wissmann wrote to the German-African asso- 

 ciation from Cairo, where he was detained by sickness 

 that began on his homeward voyage up the Red Sea. 

 The following abstract notes his more important 

 statements, but his route is difficult to follow from 

 lack of his names on even the most recent maps. 

 Early in December, 1881, Wissmann left Kingenge, 

 with Pogge and a caravan of two hundred men, and, 

 on passing the Lulua, reached the limit of the west 

 African wooded savannahs, and entered the thickly 

 populated prairies of central Africa. Lake Mukamba 

 was reached in the middle of December, in lat. 5° 

 45' S., concerning which further details will be given. 

 Passing the populous district of the Bashilange, the 

 explorers came to the Lubi on Jan. 5, 1882, and en- 

 tered the country of the Bassonge (sing., Mussonge), 

 — a fine, strong, industrious race, living in neat 

 villages, witli houses surrounded by gardens, and 

 separated by straight streets shaded by palms and 

 bananas. They work in iron, copper, clay, and wood, 

 and understand weaving and basket-making. Two 

 days' march through forests inhabited by elephants 

 and buffaloes led them to the residence of the king, 

 Katjitch, on tlie Lubilash (Sankuru), lat. 5° 7' S., 

 where they rested a week. On starting again, there 

 was some difficulty at first in obtaining permission to 

 go; for the king wished them to stay and help him 

 against an attack from the Bakuba on the north. 

 Leaving the Lubilash on Jan. 29, they crossed a 

 fertile, well-watered region, occupied by warlike 

 Bassonge, by long villages of Benecki (sing., Mu- 

 necki), and by the timid Kalebue, nearly all of whom 

 are 'cannibals, and, on March S, came to the Lomami, 

 lat. 5° 42'. From here to Tanganyika were found 

 the Batua (Stanley's Watwa), who seem to be the 

 remaining tribes of the early people of this region. 

 They live in miserable huts, without industry or ag- 

 riculture, and subsist on wild fruits and by hunting. 

 On April 17, the party arrived at Nyangwe on the 

 Lualaba, lat. 4° 13' S., and were well received and 

 aided by the Arabs of that half-civilized town. There 

 the explorers parted. Pogge turned back on May 5; 

 and, after some delay, Wissmann started eastward 

 with a small party on June 1, having much trouble 

 with his men and the people, on the way, till he 

 reached the great lake. There, at Ruanda, he enjoyed 

 the hospitality of the English missionary, Griflith, 

 and made a four days' excursion to the Lukuga, con- 

 cerning which he proinises interesting information as 

 to the part it plays as Tanganyika's outlet. Crossing 

 to Udjidji, the rest of his way led through less un- 

 known country. His most important delaur was to 

 'Uhha' (Udjowa?), where King Mirambo received 

 him in the most friendly manner, with roast beef and 

 champagne. On Sept. 5 Wissmann was welcomed to 

 Tabora by the Frencli missionaries there, and shortly 

 afterwards reached the German station in Gonda, 

 whei'e he found Bohm and Reicliardt about to start 

 on an extended journey farther inland. Kaiser having 

 already set out. On Nov. 15 he arrived safely on 

 the eastern coast. — {Aunland, 1883, 134; Compfen 

 reiidiis soc. geogr. Paris, 1883, 90.) w. M. D. [608 



Rio Bembe. — D. T. das Neves x^refaces an account 

 of his exploration of this river, generally given as the 



