NOVEMBEE 15, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



661 



A number of interesting insects were ob- 

 tained in the Magellanic region and at the 

 Falkland Islands. These are also treated of in 

 the present publication. 



A few ostracods, mostly belonging to the 

 genus Conchcecia or Paradoxostoma, were ob- 

 tained from the plankton between 69° 48' and 

 71° 15' S. Lat. 



The Holothurians comprise nine species, of 

 which five are new, including the new genus 

 Ehipidothuria; and which were procured 

 chiefly between S. Lat. 69° and 71° 18' in deep 

 water, or in the plankton collections. 



The Medusse are also rare, only two of 

 strictly Antarctic habitat having been taken, 

 Homceonema racovitzae and Isonema ainplum. 

 The second generic name, it may be noted, is 

 preoccupied for a Mollusk since 1866 by Meek 

 and Worthen, and might be replaced by 

 Arctapodema. The other forms discussed are 

 mostly from the subantarctic plankton, none 

 of them identical with Arctic species, though 

 one of them is supposed to be Mediterranean 

 in distribution. Wm. H. Dall 



National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-190^, 

 S. 8. Discovery, commanded hy Capt. Scott 

 R. N. Natural History. Vol. I., Geology. 

 London, the British Museum (Natural His- 

 tory). 1907. 160 pp., 4°, pi. X. Field 

 Geology, by H. T. Ferrae, Geologist to the 

 expedition (100 pp.). Eock Specimens, by 

 G. T. Prior, Asst. Brit. Mus. (40 pp.). 

 We have already reviewed the second and 

 third volumes of this excellent report, and now 

 are able to notice volume I., which has re- 

 cently appeared. 



The part of South Victoria Land studied by 

 the members of the expedition consists of a 

 great range, or series of mountain ranges, 

 stretching in a line almost direct from latitude 

 71° to latitude 82° south, a distance of some 

 800 miles. Some of the peaks rise to a height 

 •of 13,000 feet, and it is remarkable that there 

 is no extensive area of land lower than 4,000 

 feet. Off this bold coast line is the shallow 

 Eoss Sea, with occasional islands close in and 

 in a series roughly parallel to the coast. 



In the vicinity of the winter quarters the 

 Eoss Archipelago, including the large Eoss 



Island which bears Mts. Erebus and Terror, 

 is composed of recent volcanic rocks. Mt. 

 Erebus emits steam, but during the stay of 

 the expedition no ejection of dust, lava or 

 other solid matter was observed. 



On the opposite side of the gulf, westward 

 from Eoss Island the rocks are quite different, 

 having for a basal platform a gneissic series 

 with which a pure white coarsely crystalline 

 limestone in places is associated. Above this 

 lie granites with interstratified sheets of 

 dolerite, occasionally thin seams of micaceous 

 schist, and narrow basaltic dykes. The 

 granites are capped by a yellowish sandstone 

 which reaches a thickness, of 2,000 feet or 

 more, and at certain localities retains carbon- 

 ized traces of vegetable remains. These rocks 

 were horizontal or inclined only at compara- 

 tively small angles. The carbonaceous matter 

 occurs in sufficient quantity to form blackish 

 bands in the strata, which also show at times 

 cross-bedding, pebble bands, and yellowish 

 argillaceous mudstones or concretions up to 

 two inches in length. Some calcareous 

 layers were also noted. 



Above the sandstones the uppermost horizon 

 consists of intrusive dolerites, sometimes 

 columnar. 



Full notes are given on the inland and sea 

 ice. The former covers and obliterates the 

 inequalities of the interior land surface, leav- 

 ing coastal land fringes, comparatively free 

 from ice. The floe or sea-ice rarely exceeds 

 eight feet in thickness, and, if depressed by a 

 deposit of snow above, the lower surface of the 

 floe is removed by the action of the sea to 

 an equivalent extent, so that, according to 

 Ferrar, it seems impossible that the thickness 

 of the floe can be increased to any very 

 marked extent by the addition of snow to the 

 upper surface. The rise of the inland ice 

 from the coast inland is very gentle and 

 almost imperceptible, so that it seems as if, 

 should an elevated hinterland occur at all, it 

 must be at a considerable distance inland. 



Denudation in this region seems largely due 

 to wind action, the temperature being so low 

 that erosion by water flow is hardly possible. 

 Exposed surfaces of rock rapidly disintegrate 

 into dust, but at a small distance below the 



