GEOGRAPHIC MISCELLANEA 375 



Society, asserted that the human cranium has shown a marked increase 

 in capacity and change of form during the past century. The address, 

 which has aroused much interested discussion among scientific men, is 

 printed in full in the July number of the American Anthropologist, under 

 the title of " The Trend of Human Progress." Prof. McGee states : " The 

 average capacity of recent European crania is much above the average 

 among the cave men of Europe; the skulls of modern dissecting-rooms 

 are decidedly better developed than those of ancient ossuaries; even in 

 the history of America, to judge from the best portraits extant, the cra- 

 nial conformation has changed from the retreating type of Washington 

 and his contemporaries to the full-forehead type of the livixig statesman. 

 The data are less complete than might be desired, but wheresoever there 

 are measurements for comparison their testimony is consistent; they tell 

 of progressive increase in cranial capacity among all peoples, with de- 

 crease among none. The process of cephalization is manifested hardly 

 less strikingly in the reduction of prognathism, in the shortening of the 

 forelimbs, in the tendency toward diminution in number of teeth which 

 dentists note, and in other characters of both skeleton and soft tissues." 

 The new steamer of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, the Path- 

 finder, after receiving her scientific outfit at Washington, recently started 

 on a voyage to San Francisco via Cape Horn, her destination being 

 Alaska and subsequently the Hawaiian islands. An examination made 

 by Superintendent Pritchett in Hawaii last year developed the necessity 

 of continuing the geodetic and hydrographic surveys of those islands by 

 the U. S. government. The land operations, however, have been suc- 

 cessful!}' organized and carried on for the last 25 years by the Hawaiian 

 < iovermnent Survey. The steamer carries the necessary instruments for 

 observations of terrestrial magnetism, densities of sea water, current 

 velocities, and sea bottoms, as well as for the regular hydrographic and 

 topographic survey of the coasts. A record will also be kept of the phe- 

 nomena observed while en route along the coasts of South America. 

 During the summer seasons the Pathfinder will reenforce the ships and 

 parties of the Survey operating in Alaskan waters, retreating during the 

 winter months to the milder Hawaiian shores. The Pathfinder is under 

 the command of Frank Walley Perkins, of the Survey staff, with J. C. 

 I >ow. a well known Transatlantic master, as executive officer. She is 

 the largest of the Survey's vessels, and is peculiarly well fitted for the 

 long-distance work of the character she undertakes, her coal endurance 

 being about 6,000 miles. She carries a complement of about 75 officers 

 and men. I ncluding the Pathfinder, the Survey will now have four steam 

 vessels on the Pacific station and three along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, 

 besides a number of schooners and smaller craft at various points. 



The Geographical Journal for July publishes in full the address of the 

 presidenl of the Royal Geographical Society, Sir Clements Markham, read 

 at the anniversary meeting, June 5, 1890. The address is a clear and con- 

 cise summary of the geographic work of the past year, particularly of 

 what has been accomplished and planned in the exploration of the Arctic 

 and Antarctic regions. Sir Clements Markham announced that an ar- 



