388 . General Notes. [May, 
Kobdo to Kalgan, and thence to Ulassoutai via Urga, in Mon- 
golia. From Ulassoutai he turned west to the Chuyra river, 
which was reached at Kosh-agach. Nearly the whole of this 
journey was through unexplored territory. No less than 2700 
miles were surveyed and twenty-six points determined astronomi- 
cally as well by chronometer as by occultations. Barometrical 
measurements were made during the whole journey, and ve 
rich zoological, botanical and mineralogical collections were 
obtained. 
Bangkok, the capital of Siam, is to be united to the telegraphic 
system of the world by a partly overland and partly submarine 
line connecting with the one now running to Moulmein. 
M. W. Shapira sends to the Atheneum (March 13, 1880) ån 
interesting account of a journey of four months during the sum- 
mer of 1879 in the interior of Yemen, the Arabia Felix of the 
Romans. He describes it as the most fertile and temperate country 
on this side of Asia, owing its happiness chiefly to the absence of 
the Shumum winds—the great curse of Syria and Northern 
Africa—and its prosperity to its having two rainy seasons of four 
months each, and consequently two harvests in the year. The 
mountains make the climate temperate and healthy. Yemen has 
an area of about 50,000 miles, more than half of which belongs 
to a series of plateaux from 4000 to 8500 feet above the level of 
the sea. The boundary line of Yemen is as follows: western 
side, along the eastern side of the Red sea, from Bab-el-Mandab 
south to Lohaya north ; then north side, from Lohaya north-west 
to Saada north-east; then from Saada north-east to Aden south- 
east; then from Aden south-east to Bab-el-Mandab south-west, 
so that it forms an oblong square of about 110 to 150 miles wide 
and 450 long. The chief towns of Yemen are situated on the 
second plateau, from 6000 to 7000 feet above the sea. This 
plateau is fertile and well watered. 
MICROSCOPY .' 
ORGANISMS IN ICE FROM STAGNANT Warter.—During the past 
season on account of the unusually mild weather, ice has been 
gathered quite extensively from stagnant water in canals and 
ponds. Since the middle of February I have been making micro- 
scopical investigations with regard to the purity of such ice. The 
plan adopted has been to select only those fragments taken from 
the interior of blocks which appear clean and transparent to the 
unassisted eye. On melting those fragments and examining the 
water thus obtained with various magnifying powers up to 900 
diameters, bits of vegetable tissues and confervoid growths are 
usually recognizable at once. I have not noticed animalcule in 
an active state in water from ice that has just been melted, but 
upon allowing such water to settle and become warm at the or- 
1 This department is edited by Dr. R. H. Warp, Troy, N. Y. 
