308 General Notes. [ April, 
trict covering about 2000 square miles, in one of the most popu- 
lous parts of the State, and containing two important cities and 
nearly two hundred villages and hamlets, every one of these towns 
or villages is misplaced from one to two miles on all existing 
maps. The Director, Mr. James T. Gardner, remarks: ‘ Colo- 
rado was not a greater surprise to me than has been the structure 
of my native State. In thestudy of the origin of some of the 
most remarkable features lie untrodden tracts of knowledge which 
are, yet to awaken deep interest. The configuration of a part of 
Central New York is as unique and as unknown to science as that 
of any part of the Rocky mountains.” “Studien über das 
Klima der Mittelmeerlander,” by Theobald Fischer, published as 
a supplement to Petermann’s Mittheilungen, is an exhaustive mono- 
graph on the climate of the shores of the Mediterranean. An 
interesting account of the famous winds, the Maestral, the Bora 
and the Sirocco, is given with many tables and charts illustrating 
the records of temperature and rainfall. He also discusses the 
evidence for change of climate, within historic times, afforded by 
the fauna and flora. When the African elephant was tamed by 
the Carthagenians, the camel was unknown in North Africa, 
whereas now the camel is indispensable on the desert and the 
elephant and rhinoceros have both disappeared from the region. 
There is no evidence of such a change in the climate of the coun- 
tries north of the Mediterranean as would prevent their recovering 
the position they held in ancient times. The rainfall, though, owing 
to the destruction of the forests, it is differently distributed, is the 
same in amount and sufficient for agricultural needs. In the 
countries, however, lying south of lat. 34° N. greater changes have 
taken place, the rainfall being decidedly less in amount than 
formerly. Vast tracts have become uninhabitable, the desert is 
ever encroaching upon the steppe, the springs are drying up in 
the oases, and the larger mammals are abandoning the region. 
Only a local influence could be exerted by the proposed inland 
sea in Algeria, but the planting of forests might produce greater 
results. ——Mr. Alexander Forrest, brother of the well-known 
explorer, Mr. John Forrest, has recently made a successful jour- 
ney in north-western Australia, during which he explored the 
country lying between the De Grey and Victoria rivers. Starting 
February 15, 1879, from the former river and proceeding north- 
wards to King’s Sound, the party then followed up the Fitzroy 
river for a distance of 250 miles. It is navigable for small vessels 
for about 100 miles. Leaving the Fitzroy at 17° 42’ S. lat. an 
126° E. long., they journeyed north-west towards Collier bay for 
140 miles, ascending a table land 2000 feet high, but were obliged 
to return to the river, owing to the ruggedness of the country. 
; They then, on July 10th, started for the overland telegraph line, 
marching in an E. N. E. direction, and reached the Victoria river T 
near its junction with the Wickham, after a march of 340 miles. 
