April 22, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



657 



eral way it may be said that the manner in 

 which the several papers are printed and il- 

 lustrated is most satisfactory. The extremely 

 barren nature of the region in which the party 

 explored, renders many of the papers very 

 short, but the possession of any well-founded 

 results from this inhospitable region is a boon 

 for which we are permanently indebted to the 

 heroism of the explorers and the liberality of 

 the Belgian government. 



The date of issue of the several parts, as 

 noted on the second page of each memoir, 

 being often different from that appearing on 

 the cover, we have cited the former in the fol- 

 lowing synopsis of the parts which have, so 

 far, reached us. 



' Astronomic, Etude des chronometres ' ; I., 

 Methodes et conclusions. G. LECorNTE (62 pp., 

 5 pL, 1901). II., Journal (131 pp., 1 pi., 

 1901). 



' Meteorologie. Aurores Australes.' H. 

 Arctowski (64 pp., 2 pL, 1901). 



Sixty-one auroras were observed during 

 thirteen months. The maximum frequency 

 was near the equinoxes, the diurnal maximum 

 between ten and eleven p.m. A 26-day period 

 was also plainly marked. The general char- 

 acteristics were remarkably similar to those of 

 boreal auroras, notwithstanding the great dif- 

 ference of the surroundings. Particularly in- 

 tense displays were usually coincident with 

 similar displays recorded simultaneously in 

 the arctic observatories, and were observed to 

 coincide with the appearance of sunspots. 



' La neige et la givre.' A. Dobrowolski (19 

 pp., 1903). 



This memoir is chiefly devoted to a study 

 of the forms and structure of snowflakes and 

 hailstones. 



' Observations des nuages.' A. Dobrowolski 

 (158 pp., 1902). 



The observations taken are minute and full, 

 but were much interfered with during the 

 winter months by fog. 



Phenomenes optiques de 1' Atmosphere.' H. 

 Arctowski (4Y pp., 1902). 



A journal of the parhelia, paraselenia, phe- 

 nomena of refraction, luminous clouds, etc. 



' Oceanographie. Eapport sur les densites 



de I'eau de mer.' H. Arctowski (22 pp., 1 

 pi., 1901). 



' Determination de la densite de I'eau de 

 mer.' J. Thoulet (29 pp., 1 pL, 1901). 

 _ A journal and discussion of the observations 

 and a review of methods of observation in 

 general. 



' Botany. Lichens.' Ed. A. "Waino (46 pp., 

 4 pi., 1903). 



Fifty-five Antarctic species were collected, of 

 which 38 per cent, are also Arctic or north 

 European, 53 per cent, new or endemic, and 

 only 19 per cent, common to the Magellanic 

 region or South America, a somewhat un- 

 expected conclusion. 



' Mousses.' J. Cardot (48 pp., 14 pi.) and 

 ' Hepatiques.' F. Stephani (6 pp., 1901). 



Cardot gives a general review of Magellanic 

 bryology which will be most useful for stu- 

 dents of mosses. A second section of the me- 

 moir is devoted to the Antarctic mosses. 

 Many of these are finely developed, yet all 

 except two were found to be absolutely sterile, 

 and it is probable that fruit is produced in this 

 region only under exceptional conditions. The 

 species are usually associated, apparently for 

 protection. The three endemic liverworts hide 

 among the mosses. Twenty-seven species of 

 mosses were noticed, of which fifteen are new. 

 Nine of the known species are common to 

 the Arctic regions and the new forms are 

 generally closely related to analogous Arctic 

 species. There is very little in common be- 

 tween the Magellanic and Antarctic mosses, 

 the latter much more nearly resemble those 

 of the boreal flora. This relationship is 

 curiously opposed to the conditions which ap- 

 pear in the fauna, which has hardly any trace 

 of bipolarity. There is in the Antarctic only 

 one phanerogam, a grass, Aira antarctica, 

 which has been found in widely separated lo- 

 calities. 



' Zoologie. Spongiares.' E. Topsent (pp. 

 54, 6 pi., 1901). 



Twenty-six species were obtained in Antarc- 

 tic waters, eight monaxonids and flve hexac- 

 tinellids, are new. There is no indication of 

 bipolarity in the sponge fauna, which extends 

 to the southernmost position attained. 



