762 



SGIENGE. 



[N. S. Vol. IV. No. 99. 



region for the purpose of hunting. I wish now 

 to add that during the past summer Dr. L. B. 

 Sperry, who was with me a year ago, has again 

 visited the region and solved the problem of 

 the glacial water of Avalanche Lake, as de- 

 scribed in my former paper. His party dis- 

 covered in the mountains at the head of Ava- 

 lanche Basin, a hitherto unknown glacier which 

 will hereafter be known as the Sperry glacier. 

 Like the majority of the glaciers of this region 

 it begins in narrow gorges, high up in the 

 mountains, and spreads out into a hand-like 

 mass terminating near the top of the cliflFs 

 above Avalanche Basin. In form it is the exact 

 opposite of the glacier explored by myself. That 

 seems to be unique among those yet discovered 

 in filling a large amphitheatre and in extrud- 

 ing thence by a long narrow tongue much farther 

 down the mountain side than do any of the 

 others. L. W. Chaney, Jr. 



Caeleton College, 



noethfield, minnesota. 



international cooperation in aeronautics. 



To THE Editor op Science : The excellent 

 article published in your issue of October 9th 

 on an International Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science deserves the attention of 

 every friend of scientific progress. If your sug- 

 gestions are adopted, as they certainly will be, 

 the rivalry between different nations will be- 

 come beneficial, as the peculiar genius of each 

 will serve to excite mutual emulation. 



A good example of what cooperation can ac- 

 complish may be found in the proceedings of 

 the International Congress of Meteorology held 

 in Paris during September. I shall confine my- 

 self to a brief notice of what has been accom- 

 plished by the Committee for Scientific Aeronau- 

 tics, of which Mr. Lawrence A.. Eotch and I are 

 members. It is well known that in 1892 MM. 

 Hersuite and Besangon carried out experi- 

 ments with balloons and measured the tempera- 

 ture of the air at altitudes exceeding 10,000 

 meters. By gradually enlarging the diameter 

 of these balloons altitudes exceeding 60,000 m. 

 have been reached and temperatures below 50° 

 C. have been recorded. These experiments 

 published in the Comptes Eendus and in 

 L^ Aerophile, attracted the attention of the Aero- 



nautical Society, of Berlin, which has sent up 

 to great altitudes a number of free balloons 

 carrying self-registering instruments. This 

 work was assisted by a large subscription from 

 the Emperor of Germany. 



It has now been proposed to establish a series 

 of simultaneous ascents from Paris, Berlin and 

 Strasburg (where an Alsatian Aeronautical So- 

 ciety has recently been formed), and ultimately 

 from St. Petersburg. This work is under the 

 charges of the Committee on Aeronautics ap- 

 pointed at the Meteorological Conference. A 

 free balloon will be sent up from Paris by Wm. 

 Hersuite and Besangon, on November 14th, at 

 2 p. m., and it has been requested that balloons 

 be sent up from the German stations at the 

 same time. This night has been selected in 

 view of the meteoric showers, as ascensions 

 may be made to advantage by aeronauts to ob- 

 serve the meteors above the clouds, and they 

 could at the same time secure records with ba- 

 rometers and thermometers. I may be permitted 

 to say that I have myself set the example of 

 making an ascent on that night, which I did as 

 far back as 1867. The results of this ascent by 

 night were published in Aerial Travels, edited 

 by T. Glaisher. 



If this short note should induce any Ameri- 

 can observer to make an ascent or to send up 

 free balloons at the dates fixed on in France 

 and Germany, he will do a great service by 

 publishing the results in Science, so that they 

 may be known abroad. W. de Fonvielle. 



Paris, October 30, 1896. 



SCIENTIFIC LITER A TUBE. 

 The Life and Letters of George John Romanes: 



Written and edited by his wife. 8vo. Pp. 



IX., 360. Longmans, Green & Co., London, 



New York and Bombay. 



This charming memorial of Romanes should 

 be widely read. Romanes was not only an in- 

 vestigator of ability, a writer of great gift, but 

 he was also a man endowed with a rare com- 

 bination of personal qualities. The portrayal 

 of his character is an interesting revelation even 

 to those familiar with his writings. The biog- 

 raphy is more than well done, for it bears on 

 every page the signs of loving discrimination, 

 and, though the editor retires entirely behind 



