396 Scientific Intelligence. 



able extension, producing a true invasion which continued during 

 the larger part of the 19th century, and in the case of some 

 streams has not yet been arrested. In the majority of cases, 

 however, after this time of extension a period of diminution set 

 in ; this phase appearing to have commenced sooner in the north 

 (1855-1860) than in the south (1880). This movement of retro- 

 gression, thus far at least, has not had an amplitude equal to the 

 growth which immediately preceded it. The retreat of the Ice- 

 land glaciers presents neither the importance nor the generality 

 of the great phase of diminution established in the Alps between 

 1850 and 1880. It has rather the character of a secondary phe- 

 nomenon as compared with the great increase marking the end of 

 the 18th and the larger part of the 19th centuries. 



In the case of Greenland, the information is much less exact 

 and minute ; so that whatever conclusions are reached must have 

 more or less of a hypothetical value. The author remarks that 

 early authors, deceived by the name of the country, believed that 

 it was truly a " green land " up to the 9th century at the time of 

 the arrival of the first colonists; the idea being that the inland ice 

 was of comparatively recent date. This, however, is a complete 

 error. The earliest document available (13th century) gives a 

 general description of the glaciers which is as accurate as a geol- 

 ogist could write to-day. 



The unanimous testimony of the natives affirms that at several 

 points of Danish Greenland, on the west coast up to 72° N. lat., 

 the glaciers have moved forward since the historical period, and 

 Commander Holm gives the weight of his authority to these 

 accounts, at least for the southern portion of the country. 



In any case, an increase appears to have been established about 

 the commencement of this century, and to have continued up to 

 the present time, in the greater part of Greenland. 



In general, it may be said that particularly in the north the 

 inland ice of Greenland seems at present to be stationary at its 

 maximum point, while in the south a slight diminution manifests 

 itself, but too slightly marked to arrest the progressive move- 

 ment of the ice noted by Commander Holm. Certainly, during 

 the middle of this century, there is no phase of retreat to be 

 noted which can be compared in extent or duration to that in the 

 Alps. On the contrary, during this period, at least on certain 

 local glaciers, particularly of Disko and Upernavik, a progression 

 has been noted. Observations on Jan Mayen (71° N. lat.) show 

 that the glaciers of Beerenberg have progressed since the end of 

 the 17th century, as is true of a majority of those of Iceland. 



9. JEsquisses tielenogiqaes, II, par W. Peinz (from del et Terre, 

 xviii). — The author has carried on an extended and interesting 

 series of studies in regard to the surface features of the moon, 

 and in this, his second paper, he mentions some of the more 

 prominent of them, particularly with reference to their similarity 

 to certain analogous features of the earth. For example, he dis- 

 cusses in detail, with a number of figures, the craters of the 



