Miscellaneous Inielligence. 253 
invention by him of many new forms of apparatus and the im- 
provement of previous ones, calculated to facilitate the operations 
of sounding and dredging. Prof. Alexander Agassiz was connected 
with the expedition of the Blake in the winter of 1877-1878, from 
December to March, and also during its later cruising, having had 
special charge of the collections from the dredgings, and has 
nt 
special publications with detailed instructions on the systems and 
methods adopted for deep-sea soun ing and dredging, although 
the ‘ Blake,’ have been prosecuted with celerity, ease, and precis- 
ion, showing that deep-sea work has become nearly as ready of 
accomplishment as ordinary littoral soundings.” 
e plates are partly heliotypes; and all details are given so as 
to make the work a full exposition of the best methods of deep-sea 
dredging, and of keeping records of the observations and working 
up the results. : 
OBITUARY. 
Louis Frangors pr Pourratis, died at Beverly Farms, Mass., 
in the 57th year of his age, on the 17th of July, 1880. * Spite of 
&@ magnificent constitution and a manly vigor of body and mind, 
which seemed to defy disease and to promise years of activity, he 
sank after a severe illness under an internal malady. 
Educated as an engineer, he showed from boyhood a predilec- 
tion for natural history. He was a favorite student of Professor 
at Cambridge, shared his labors. In 1848 Pourtalés entered the 
U. 8S. Coast Survey, where his ability and indefatigable industr 
were at once recognized, and he remained attached to that brane. 
