Miscellaneous Intelligence. 337 
Works and Surveys for River and Harbor Improvement, 1866-— 
1879.—Compiled under the direction of Maj. Henry M. Roserr, 
Corps of Engineers, by cusauusl Onn C. O. L. 
Potrrrer, A.M., M.D., and dhbers, 624 pp. 8vo. W ashington, 
1881.—The reports of the pea "De partment embra ace so 
harbors, canals, bridges, improvements by levees, dikes and other 
means, and the materials and methods of construction, and contain 
so important contributions to the sciences of hyd1 raulies, dynami- 
cal geology and peography, made over the breadth of the Ameri- 
can Continent, that this Index volume is one of great value and 
very general interest. Bade this, they are full “of Dees details 
as to surveys and improvements in all parts of the cou 
5, Earthquake of ange 4, 1881, in Ischia.—The fir st number 
of “ Humboldt,” the w German scientifi monthly published py 
Enke at Stutteart, ‘opens with a paper f asaulx, ‘ 
Erdbeben von Casamicciola auf Ischia.” The ga tha argues that 
as the shock was aay slightly felt on the island of Procida and 
not at all on the opposite mainland, the origin must have been at 
a less depth than the sea-botto n of the Apa ova strait. And 
since the district most vielenty affected is bounded by an oval 
whose long diameter is east-west and sieastoies im radial to the 
volcanic center of the island, which lies to the south, the cause 
due to hollows caused by removal of material in solution by the 
vomit hot springs. c. G, R. 
; e Swiss oo seaganapen Commission.—We gather from 
Comptes Rendus (Dec. 26, 1881) and from Nature (Jan. 12, 1882) 
some particulars in regard Se the work of this Commission since 
it began operations in the fall of 1879. Its members have pub- 
lished a number of papers, which have been recently presented 
to the French Academy by M. J. L. Soret. eae these are: 
1. Note on Earthquakes and their scientific study, by M. Heim ; 
2. Note on the Seismometric Observations in Switzerland, by 
M. asc ag 3. Report on the pica Neva of ie 30, 1879 ie 
M. Forel ; ” Note on the Havthquakes of November, 1881, by 
Poa: r. M. Heim writes in German, the others in rench, 
and the first paper is translated into Fieioh by M. Forel. In 
presenting these papers to the Academy, M. iets cited a number 
of interesting facts from which we take only tw Some shocks, 
4, 1880, and March 3, isai, > eebaktel ‘Alsons 
