Miscellaneous Intelligence. 149 
yet 
messages sent at one station are distinctly read at the o other sta- 
rea 4, at fift eatin in the neighborhood all at once. The expla- 
nation is i us enough: the potential of the ground in the 
neighborhood of the stations is alternately raised and lowered by 
fies the wale island, and this electrification is detected and 
recorded by the rival company’s instruments. 
1 owners of important isolated stations ae use cvieohahs 
at sea, and at sea only. This plan was devised by Mr. C. Varley 
we ma 
accompanied Mr. J. Ross Brown to China rs ago, and 
since then has occupied his time in onlaoe peclogiad explora- 
tions in China. His investigations have been encourag y the 
generous subscription of 16,000 dollars, made by the American 
merchants of China to aid him in rosecuting such exploration. 
An interesting feature of this subcription is that he is at liberty to 
use it as he deems best for the interests of science, without regard 
to immediate commercial or economic results, and in addition to 
his geological work, he purposes to institute meteorological obser- 
one ty state ral points 
me important additions have been made to the knowl- 
edge of the geo ogy of Northern China and Manchuria. Some of his 
observations made between Shanghai, ae Han-kau were published 
in the PineastGes of the American Academy of Boston, vol. viii. 
Since these were written other iectens have been received by Prof. 
J. D. Whitney, from which we hope to make extracts for a future 
number of this Journal. 
4, Thermal Units.—Prof. T. Murr proposes in “ Nature” of April 
ith, the introduction of the word therm for a thermal unit, mak- 
therm would be consequently the expressions for respectively 
1,100, 1000 therms, ss cctrbig — ding to gram, hecto- 
ogram in nam well as in nature.” 
5. presse at the Cape of Blood Hope.—Mr. E. J. Stone, F. 
R.S., of the Greenwich Observatory, has received an aiaticen 
to this position.— ature, June 23. 
