June 15, 1883.] 



SCIENCU. 



551 



The ancient and modern alluvial deposits are very- 

 extensive. The exploration failed to find the zinc 

 and copper localities that 'n^ere mentioned to them 

 in Tourane, and did not e.xtaid so far as to reach 

 tlie important tin-veins of Laos and Yun-Nan. 



Mr. Zeiller, in his study of the fossil flora of the 

 coal-beds of Tong-Eing, from material brought back 

 by Mr. Fuchs, and in part collected by Mr. Douzans, 

 reports twenty-two species, of which two are new. 

 Out of the twenty remaining, ten are identical with 

 European species, confined exclusively to rhetic 

 beds. Of the remaining species, five belong to the 

 lower Gondwiinas, and four to the upper Gond- 

 Wiinas, while one belongs to both. From this there 

 would seem to be strong reason for considering the 

 coals of Tong-King as of rhetic (upper triassic) age, 

 having analogies with the coals of India (Gond- 

 wanas), of South Africa (Karoo series). The coal- 

 basin of the Ternera in the desert of Atacama, be- 

 tween Chili and Bolivia, also contained only rhetic 

 species; and in our own country we have probably 

 analogous beds in the Eichmond and North Carolina 

 trias (cf. 1086). —(^nn. des inines, (8), ii. livr. 5.) 

 J. B. M. [1079 



Glacial depression of Scotland. — R. Richard- 

 son reviews all the localities at which arctic shells 

 have been found associated with the drift in Scot- 

 land, and shows that arctic species not now living 

 in the Britisli seas liave been discovered at various 

 high levels throughout Scotland, ranging from 90 to 

 510 feet above tide at fourteen stations. At lower 

 levels, such discoveries have been much more fre- 

 quent. The shells are generally referred to inter- 

 glacial deposits. A neatly drawn map illustrates the 

 paper {Trans. Eclinb. geol. sue, iv. 18S2, 179). In 

 the same volume, T>. Milne-Home devotes part of his 

 inaugural address to tlie evidence favoring the ice- 

 berg theory, stating, that, when due regard is paid to 

 the general south-easterly transport of bowlders at 

 various parts of the United Kingdom, it is difficult 

 to account for such an extensive operation, except 

 bv bergs floating in the sea over the submerged land 

 (ft., 124). —w. M. D. [1080 



Glaciation of Nor-way. — H. M. Cadell describes 

 the plateau mountains of Korway as an_old surface of 

 denudation, now lifted above its former base level of 

 erosion, and greatly rougliened by subsequent erosive 

 action. He agrees with Penck in maintaining tliat 

 there is a fundamental difference between Swiss and 

 Norwegian glaciers ; the former originating in slop- 

 ing fields of neve, while the latter are overflows of 

 upland ice-slieets. Three glaciers descend from the 

 ice of the Folgefond, and twenty-three from the 

 great Justedal ice-plateau. These upper sheets are 

 regarded as small examples of the present Greenland 

 ice, and as remnants of what once ' extended over 

 the whole of northern Europe.' The fiords are de- 

 scribed as ' most typical examples of true ice-formed 

 rock-basins,' and it is stated that there is no evi- 

 dence of fracturing or faulting in the rocks about 

 tliem (although Kjerulf has shown the contrary 

 statement to be true). — {Trans. Edinb. yeol. soc, iv. 

 1882, 227. ) w. M. I). ' [1081 



GEOGRAPHY. 



i.lljnm,.) 



Hygiene of mountain climbing. — Dr. Brenner 

 advocates e.xercise in the high, fine air of mountains 

 as the best iJrotection agains't the diseases contracted 

 in city life. The characteristics of the mountain 

 climate are the low temperature and air-pressure, 

 the low relative humidity, the high per cent of 



ozone, the strong light and insolation, tlie freedom 

 from dust and bacteria. All these act well on the 

 bodily liealth. The lungs work with greater strength, 

 the heart beats faster, the blood circulates more 

 quickly, appetite is increased, perspiration becomes 

 freer, the muscles become more energetic, and the 

 whole body gains in strength and endurance. — {Mit- 

 theil. deutsch. oest. Aljienv., 1882, 284.) w. it. D. 



[1082 

 Geographic nomenclature. — A chapter of defi- 

 nitions of Alpine words used in Trient is contributed 

 by Apollonio, with a valuable pictorial supplement of 

 thirty-seven- figvu-es, showing as many types of moun- 

 tain form. Six cuts illustrate passes, and sixteen are 

 given to peaks, the latter being chiefly of tlie acute 

 form cliaracteristic of the dolomites. Unfortunately 

 it is not specified whether the figures are taken from 

 nature. The style of work may be commended to 

 our own mountain clubs. — [Ann. soc. alp. trident., 

 viii. 1882, 329.) w. M. D. [1083 



(Arctic.) 

 Arctic notes. — Kumlein's researches among the 

 Eskimo of Cumberland Inlet during the Howgate ex- 

 pedition are summarized and reviewed in the Deutsche 



geographische blatter, heft ii. 172-178. For the 



promotion of traffic with Siberia, it is proposed to 

 construct a canal in about latitude 58°, connecting the 

 Yenisei and tlie Ket branch of the Obi River. The 

 distance is about twenty miles from water to water, 

 but much improvement of the Ket, and a small 

 branch of the Yenisei called the Kas, will be neces- 

 sary before through navigation will be practicable. 

 An investigation by oflicial engineers is in progress; 

 and, if the difficulties are no greater than anticipated, 

 the work can be rapidly finished, and at a reasonable 

 cost. At present, there are more than fifty steamers 



on the Obi, while in 1S54 there were but two. 



The U. S. coast-survey has issued several new charts 

 of the Alaskan coast. One covers part of the coal- 

 fields of Cook's Inlet, and several glaciers bordering 

 on Kachekmak Bay; another includes the codfishing 

 grounds of the Shumagins, the sea-otter region of 

 the south shores of Aliaska peninsula, and the pe- 

 ninsula itself from Coal Cape to Issannakh Strait. 

 It is partly compiled from published data, but in- 

 cludes much new and important information on both 



■ sides of the peninsula. The position which 



should be taken by Germany, in regard to polar re- 

 search, was discussed at the first day's meeting of 

 the German geographers at Frankfurt, in March. 

 Karl Pettersen has printed a scheme for inter- 

 national polar expeditions, which includes stations 

 at Bering Strait. North Spitzbergen, and the north- 

 east coast of Novaia Zemlaia, which should be 

 occupied during summer, for ten years, making ob- 

 servations, watcliing the changing character of the 

 seasons eacli year, making short expeditions north- 

 ward, and annually visited by recruiting vessels, 

 which should bring back the staff of observers at tlie 

 end of the season. Something of this kind has been 

 done by the more intelligent traders and whalers 

 who annually visit these seas, but whose observa- 

 tions are rough, not comparable, and often lost 

 entirely. Still more near to Pettersen's idea is the 

 plan adopted by tlie Dutch, whose little schooner, 

 the Willeni Barents, has just sailed on her sixth 

 cruise in the arctic European seas, and has each 

 season brought back carefully systematized and 



comparable observations. The fourth number 



of the Mittheilungen of the international polar com- 

 mission contains a number of notes and letters from 

 various stations. The Lena station, on Sagastir 



