November 22, 1889.] 



SCIENCE. 



359 



— The Leonard Scott Publishing Connpany write us they are 

 still publishing the American Naiuralist in its serial order, not- 

 ■withstanding the announcements or statements of other parties. 



— The eighth annual series (1890) of "Johns Hopkins Univer- 

 sity Studies in History and Politics," edited by Herbert B. Adams, 

 will be published in twelve monthly numbers, averaging fifty pages 

 •each, and will be devoted to history, politics, and education. 

 Among the papers that may be expected are " The Beginnings of 

 American Nationality : The Constitutional Relations between the 

 Continental Congress and the Colonies and States," by Albion W. 

 Small, president of Colby University ; " Development of Municipal 

 Unity in the Lombard Communes," by William Klapp Williams ; 

 ■" Local Government in Wisconsin," by David E. Spencer ; " The 

 Study of History in France, Germany, Belgium, and Holland," by 

 Professor Paul Fr^d^ricq of the University of Ghent, translated by 

 Henrietta Leonard ; " Spanish Colonization in the Southwest," by 

 Frank W. Blackmar, professor of history and sociology in the Uni- 

 versity of Kansas ; " Seminary Notes on Recent Historical Litera- 

 ture," by H. B. Adams, J. M. Vincent, W. B. Scaife, and others ; 

 " Higher Education of the People : A Series of Social and Educa- 

 tional Studies," by Herbert B. Adams of Johns Hopkins University ; 

 "" Notes on the Government and Administration of the United 

 States," by W. W. Willoughby and W. F. Willoughby. Other 

 papers will be announced from time to time. Seven series of the 

 *' University Studies " are now complete. The publication of a 

 series of notes supplementary to the " Johns Hopkins University 

 Studies in Historical and Political Science" was begun in January, 

 1889. The following have thus far been issued : " Municipal 

 Government in England," by Dr. Albert Shaw of Minneapolis ; 

 "' Social Work in Australia and London," by Mr. William Grey of 

 London ; " Encouragement of Higher Education," by Professor 

 Herbert B. Adams ; " The Problem of City Government," by Hon. 

 Seth Low of Brooklyn ; " The Libraries of Baltimore," by Mr. P. 

 R. Uhler of the Peabody Institute ; " Work among the Working- 

 women in Baltimore," by Professor H. B. Adams; "Charities: 

 The Relation of the State, the City, and the Individual to Modern 

 Philanthropic Work," by A. G. Warner ; " Law and History," by 

 Dr. Walter B. Scaife. These " Notes " are sent without charge to 

 regular subscribers to the " Studies." 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



* ^'Correspondents are requested to de as brief as possible. The -writer's name is 

 in allcases required as proof of good faith. 



Tke editor will be glad to publish any queries consonant with the character- oj 

 the journal. 



Ok request^ twenty copies of the number containing his cojnrnunication will be 

 furnished free to any correspondent . 



The Various Discoveries of Lake Mistassini. 



My attention has been called to a communication of Mr. Jacques 

 W. Redway in Science of Nov. 8, on the various discoveries of 

 Lake Mistassini. I wish to correct a few misleading statements in 

 it about the work of the Geological Survey of Canada. From Mr. 

 Redway's letter it would appear that the Geological Survey was 

 accountable for the various startling reports as to the immense 

 size of the lake which have appeared from time to time during the 

 past few years. .This is not the case, as the only official reports on 

 that region are those of Messrs. Richardson and McOuat in 1870 

 and 1871, and that of the writer in 1885. Mr. Bignall, who is 

 credited by Mr. Redway with the survey of the lake, was employed 

 by the Geological Survey and the Crown Lands Department of 

 Quebec to make a complete survey of the lake in 1884, but, owing 

 to certain reasons, was recalled before he had made any surveys 

 on Lake Mistassini ; and the work commenced by Messrs. Richard- 

 son and McOuat was continued and finished by myself. From the 

 report of that survey, it may be seen that Mistassini is only one 

 hundred miles long, with an average breadth of twelve miles. 



Mr. Bignall and his sons are accountable for many of the stories 

 ■as to the great size of the lake ; but as they did not go around the 

 lake, and have only Indian hearsay evidence for their statements, 

 they may be taken for what they are worth against actual measure- 

 ments. 



It is a well-known fact that persons unaccustomed to the proper 

 estimation of distances are liable to enlarge the portions traversed 

 by them on great bodies of water, and to make the unknown parts 

 often too small, thus greatly distorting the appearance of such 

 lakes. These causes, along with those mentioned by Mr. Redway, 

 would tend to throw Pere Laure's map all out of proportion, and 

 a more natural explanation of it can be given by taking these facts 

 into account. 



The lake was entered at the head of the south-east bay by the 

 ordinary route from the Saguenay, as shown by the " Abanel por- 

 tage," and the small southern portion of the bay enlarged and 

 called "Lac Dauphin." "Lac des P^re Abanel" extends as far 

 as the narrows at the Hudson Bay Post ; and " Jean Bay," from 

 the Hudson Bay Post to the Big Narrows (Le grand perce). The 

 point marked " Ancien Etablissement " is the point between the 

 south-east and south-west bays, where the Indians still congregate 

 in summer, to live on the fish which are there taken in great quan- 

 tities. 



The remainder and greater part of the lake is represented by 

 that portion called " Lac des Mistassins," which, being unexplored, 

 is made relatively much too small. By this interpretation of Pere 

 Laure's map we are not obliged to swing it 30°, dry up Lac Dau- 

 phin, and change the relative labels of different parts, to make it 

 correspond with the modern map. Experience in the archsean region 

 to the north of the St. Lawrence shows that the differences of level 

 between the high and low lands there have reached almost a min- 

 imum, and consequently the denuding action of the rivers is very 

 small. A. P. Low. 



. INDUSTRIAL NOTES. 



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