DECEMBER’S, 1897. ] 
for the work. It is proposed to establish ex- 
perimental farms every ten miles along the 
whole line, twenty-eight having already been 
organized. 
AT the first meeting of the present season of 
the Royal Geographical Society, the President, 
Sir Clements Markham, made an address in 
which he says, according to the report in the 
London Times, that the recess had been sig- 
nalized by the publication of two important 
geographical works—the admirable monograph 
on British Central Africa, by Sir Harry John- 
ston, with its fascinating chapters on the scen- 
ery and the physical aspects of that region ; and 
the ‘First Crossing of Spitzbergen,’ by Sir 
Martin Conway; while they had themselves 
brought out Sir William Macgregor’s interesting . 
paper on ‘ British New Guinea’ in the form of 
a small volume. There had also been much 
activity in the field. In Africa, Mr. Caven- 
dish, who only completed his twenty-first year 
last May, had made a very remarkable journey 
from Berbera, across the Somali country, to the 
river Jub, and then inland to Lake Rudolf. 
He shared with the late Captain Bottego the 
honor of being the first to explore the western 
shores of that lake. With regard to Siam they 
might expect another communication from Mr. 
H. Warington Smyth. In Central Asia the 
labors of Dr. Sven Hedin, which had been con- 
tinuous during several years, were of great 
geographical importance. Not less important 
and quite as interesting were the explorations 
now being carried on in the Afridi country by 
their gallant associate, Sir William Lockhart. 
They must all feel enthusiastic on reading of 
the skill and ability with which his old friend 
was conducting a most difficult campaign, and 
of the brilliant dash and devotion of the Gordon 
Highlanders and other troops who were serving 
under him. As Fellows of that Society they 
rejoiced that the success of their arms also en- 
tailed successes for the cause of geography. 
Their friend and associate, Mr. Fitzgerald, was 
also returning from his arduous examination of 
Aconcagua, which was believed to be the lofti 
est peak in the Chilian Andes. There would, 
so far as he was aware, be no new work from 
the Antarctic regions during the ensuing season, 
unless, as he hoped, the Belgian expedition, 
SCIENCE: 
845 
commanded by M. de Gerlache, should be able 
to send news of any discovery before the close 
of the season. But the efforts of their Council 
to procure the dispatch of a British Antarctic 
expedition had never ceased. Meanwhile, Sir 
George Newnes had supplied funds for a Nor- 
wegian enterprise, to be conducted by Herr 
Borchgrevink. In the Arctic regions there had 
been much activity this summer, and it was re- 
ported that it was the most open season that 
had been known for many years. They now 
had to welcome Mr. Jackson, Mr. Armitage, 
and the other members of the expedition on 
their safe return, and to congratulate Mr. 
Harmsworth on the valuable results of his pa- 
triotic munificence. Following the President’s 
address, Mr. Frederick G. Jackson lectured on 
the scientific results of the Jackson-Harms- 
worth expedition. 
At the opening meeting of the Linnzan So- 
ciety, London, an interesting collection of 
zoological and botanical exhibits collected by 
the Jackson-Harmsworth expedition was shown 
by Mr. F. G. Jackson, the leader, and Mr. 
Fisher, the botanist of the expedition, the for- 
mer also exhibiting upon a screen a number of 
photographs of animals and birds which in- 
habit the Arctic regions. Some lantern slides 
of marsh birds and their nests from pho- 
tographs recently taken in Spain and Hol- 
land were shown by Mr. Reginald Lodge. 
Following a discussion upon these exhibits, 
Sir John Lubbock, M. P., read a paper on 
‘The Attraction of Flowers for Insects,’ in 
reply to three memoirs recently published 
by Professor Plateau. According to the re- 
port in the London Times Sir John 
Lubbock explained that his view was, like 
that of Sprengel and Darwin, that we owe 
to insects the beauty of our gardens and 
the sweetness of our flelds. To them, he 
said, flowers were entitled for their scent 
and color. Not only had the present shapes 
and outlines, brilliant colors, the sweet 
scent and the honey of flowers been grad- 
ually developed through the unconscious 
selection exercised by insects, but this ap- 
plied even to minor points, such as the ar- 
rangement of lines and the different shades 
of color. 
