460 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
Dawkins’ work on the Antiquity of Man, and concurred in the opinion that the 
race existed in the middle pliocene period. 
Professor Nipher explained Bell’s method of transmitting light, and showed 
by a diagram on the blackboard how rays of light may be made the medium of 
speech through the photophone. 
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned until next month. 
LEAVENWORTH ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
The Academy of Science held its first meeting of the season at the Academy 
hall November 17, and was well attended. The lecture of the evening was by. 
Judge Crozier, on ‘‘Chief Justice Marshall.” The programme for the remainder 
of the season is as follows: December 16th, Dr. Tiffin Sinks, ‘‘A Visit to 
Rome illustrated;” January 13th, Dr. W. W. Backus, ‘‘ An Old Egyptian Theory 
of Creation;” February roth, Prof. F. A. Fitzpatrick, ‘‘ Working of the Signal 
Service;” March roth, Prof. W. W. Grant, ‘¢ Utility the Test of Education ;” 
April 7th, W. S. Burke, ‘‘Fossils;’? May 5th, Dr. R. J. Brown, ‘‘ Medicinal 
Plants of Kansas.” There will be a meeting between every two of the above 
dates, when lectures will be delivered by parties from abroad who have agreed to: 
speak, but were not prepared to give dates. 
CEOGRARHIOAE N@@is: 
MR. B. LEIGH SMITH’S ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 
The following particulars of the voyage of the steam yacht Eira, of Peter- 
head, belonging to Mr. B. Leigh Smith, of London, to and from the Arctic 
regions, have been furnished the London Zimes. Mr. Smith, as is well known, 
has had considerable experience in Arctic navigation, and has done a great deal 
in the way of helping to clear up the mystery attaching to the unknown quarter 
of the globe near the North Pole. The Eira is a steam vessel of 350 tons gross, 
measuring 135 ft. in length by 25 ft. of beam. She sailed from Peterhead on the 
19th of June, with a crew of 25, all told, including Mr. Leigh Smith, owner of 
the yacht; Mr. W. J. A. Grant, photographer; Dr. Neale, physician; and Cap- 
tain W. Lofley, as ice master. The object of the expedition was to follow up the 
discoveries already made in the direction of the North Pole, and to obtain as 
high a latitude as circumstances would permit. After shipping the remainder of the 
crew at Lerwick, the Eira sailed on the 22d of June, and a week later reached 
Jan Mayen Island. They found the ice almost encircling the island—a some- 
what rare occurrence at that late season of the year, as it is an unusual thing to. 
