472 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 
Plain Creek, from which the party passed over into eg 
og Creek, following this down into the Snake River Plain. 
An interesting fact observed was the occurrence of two oneal of 
Soisk in great “quantity in streams such as Medicine Lodge, Comas, 
and other creeks, all sinking into the plains after a course ‘of Esbe 
fifty to s eventy-five miles. The trout appeared to be of the 
two species in a ee the waters had no apparent contestitll 
wy iM Harper's 
GF. geographical researches of modern times 
have been more “interesting than those carried on in Madagascar 
by M. A. Gra r, whether we consider our previous ignorance 
of the region in amet or the number of s pers and important 
scientific novelties brought to light. We have already referred to 
the return of this gentleman from his third expedition, the first 
having been commenced in 1865. On this occasion = attempted 
_ to reach the heart of the island, but in vain; and in the following 
year he explored the southern region, but did not reac iS the mount- 
ains. In 1869-70, however, he t versed the entire breadth of the 
island three times, from west es an, through its whole extent, 
five chains of mountain 8, which have eg os the same direction 
—namely, from northeast to southwest. ese are separa rated by 
sandy and arid plains, intersected by shallow ravines. After 
crossing the fourth chain, a region is reached of which the general 
level is from 1000 to 1200 meters in height, extending to the In- 
dian Ocean, a vast sea of mountains, with no hy lands except a 
few small valleys used for the cultivation of ri 
ne eastern coast is intersected at almost “ia step with rivers 
and ine a ; and the northwestern pro nage pour into the sea 4 
large mber of important riv ~ On the southern and western 
regions pen oe the case is ap Yebeirg there being distances 
of fifty leagues without the manlnes brook. The reputation pos- 
sessed by Madagascar for ‘ee riant Ae crnggignr and fertile. soil, 
according to M. <pemmienart edges means merited, its provinces 
being neither rich n or produc tive. The secondary plains are stel- 
ile, and the population is confined to the immediate banks of — 
ee e entire mass of Mee: granitic mountains, situate 
=~ 
x which connect with those of the west, forming around t s) 
— a narrow girdle, including a dry and desert region me 
