June 1, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



857 



Mackenzie, while Mr. Mikkelsen will take the 

 ship through Bering Strait, visiting the coast 

 of Siberia for the purpose of collecting dogs 

 and one or two ponies; then pushing his way 

 along the northwest coast of Alaska, and, if 

 possible, avoiding the pack-ice by keeping in- 

 side the shoals, which the slight draught of the 

 ship (8 feet) should enable him to do. Beyond 

 Point Barrow special attention will be paid, 

 so far as time permits, to tidal observations, 

 which are here of particular interest by reason 

 of the sudden change of twelve hours in the 

 tide constant which seems to take place be- 

 tween Harrison Bay and Herschel Island. It 

 is hoped that the whole expedition of ten men 

 will be united at the mouth of the Mackenzie 

 by about August 20. Proceeding eastward 

 past Cape Bathurst, it will cross over to Prince 

 of Wales Strait, and endeavor to establish a 

 depot of provisions abreast of Princess Royal 

 Island. Retracing its course, it will establish 

 winter quarters on Minto Inlet, where as much 

 scientific work as possible will be carried on, 

 while some of the men will procure fresh meat 

 by hunting. In the spring of 190Y, two men, 

 lightly equipped and making use of the depot 

 already formed, will endeavor to cross to Mel- 

 ville Island, and thence to Prince Patrick Is- 

 land, afterwards making a trip of some 60 

 miles over the ice, and, if possible, obtaining 

 an idea of the configuration of the sea-bottom 

 by means of soundings. Meanwhile the scien- 

 tific workers will have been extending their 

 knowledge by means of trips from the ship, 

 which, as soon as the ice opens suificiently, 

 will cross over to Nelson's Head, and endeavor 

 to follow the coast of Banks Island to Burnet 

 Bay, where she will unship the provisions and 

 remain either until the autumn of 1907, or, 

 if supplies permit, until the summer of 1908, 

 being then sent home. In the spring of 1908, 

 a party of three men, with the dogs and pony, 

 will start west-northwest over the ice, with 

 provisions for a hundred and forty days, keep- 

 ing this course as nearly as possible, until 

 soundings show that the edge of the conti- 

 nental shelf is passed, or land is found, or the 

 position of 150° W., 76° 30' N., is reached. If 

 the first-named eventuality is realized, an en- 



deavor will be made to reach the edge of the 

 shelf on a southward course, and to determine 

 its trend as far as possible, the party making 

 for the nearest coast when provisions run 

 short. If land should be met with, it will be 

 examined as far as possible; but if neither 

 this nor the edge of the shelf should bo found, 

 the explorers will push on as near as possible 

 to the position mentioned, whence they will 

 either endeavor to reach Wrangel Island, or 

 make for the nearest coast, as circumstances 

 may decide. In case the ship remains a sec- 

 ond winter, as much scientific work as possible 

 will be carried on at Burnet Bay, but in any 

 case the observers left here will take the ship 

 home independently of the other party. 



MOSQUITO EXTERMINATION. 

 The following is the full text of the law 

 enacted at the last session of the New Jersey 

 State legislature and recently signed by the 

 governor : 



CHAPTEB 134. 



An Act to provide for locating and abolishing 

 mosquito-breeding salt-marsh areas within the 

 state, for assistance in dealing with certain in- 

 land breeding places, and appropriating money 

 to carry its provisions into effect. 

 Be it enacted by the Senate and General As- 

 sembly of the State of New Jersey: 



1. It shall be the duty of the director of the 

 state experiment station, by himself or through 

 an executive officer to be appointed by him to 

 carry out the provisions of this act, to survey or 

 cause to be surveyed all the salt-marsh areas 

 within the state, in such order as he may deem 

 desirable, and to such extent as he may deem 

 necessary, and he shall prepare or cause to be 

 prepared a map of each section so surveyed, and 

 shall indicate thereon all the mosquito-breeding 

 places found on every such area, together with a 

 memorandum of the method to be adopted in 

 dealing with such mosquito-breeding places, and 

 the probable cost of abolishing the same. 



2. It shall be the further duty of said director, 

 in the manner above described, to survey, at the 

 request of the board of health of any city, town, 

 township, borough or village within the state, to 

 such extent as may be necessary, any fresh-water 

 swamp or other territory suspected of breeding 

 malarial or other mosquitoes, within the jurisdic- 

 tion of such board, and he shall prepare a map 



