270 i The American Naturalist. [March 
The geology of King Charles’ Land is allied to that of Spitzbergen. 
In the land lakes there are many insects and crustacea, but the mam- 
mals are only the usual ones of the arctic regions; bear, walrus, and 
seal are plentiful. There are a few mosses, which form the only vege- 
tation. 
The Zoédlogist (Jan.) gives an account of the birds of Jan Mayen, 
translated from a paper by Dr. Fischer, of Vienna. This island is 
located in latitude 70.49 to 71.8 N., and longitude 7.26 to 8.44 west, 
and is 600 miles due north of the Faroe Isles. In color and character 
it much resembles Spitzbergen. At one part there are two volcanoes in 
close proximity, and at the northern end rises the mountain of Beer- 
enberg, 6870 feet in height. Plants are scarce, and though many 
migrants visit the island, only sea-birds breed there regularly. Among 
the birds are Falco candicans and F. peregrinus, Nyctea nivea, Erithacus 
rubecula, Saxifraga ananthe, Turdus pilaris, and T. musicus, Motacilla 
alba, Anthus aguaticus, and Linota hornemanni,—the latter a true Arctic 
species. Many waders occur, and here is the most northern recorded 
habitat of Rallus aquaticus. Many swimmers breed here, but only 
Fulmarus glacialis stays here all the year. 
Mr. Thoruddsen, who is himself a native of Iceland, has recently 
devoted his time to the exploration of this still imperfectly known large 
island. In 1889 he explored the region of Fiskivotn, a waste between 
Hecla and Vatna Jokul, before for the most part unvisited. East and 
north of Hecla he found a new obsidian district. Crossing the 
Tunguaa, he visited the true crater lakes of Fiskivotn. In the district 
between these lakes and the Vatna Jokul there is no plant life; the 
entire area is covered with lava floods, with a large amount of volcanic 
sand. Lake Thorisvatn in this region is the second largest lake in the 
island. After a day’s journey in an utterly desolate district, M. Thor- 
oddsen discovered the sources of the Tunguaa, and south of this, be- 
tween three ranges of before unknown hills, he found a long and nar- 
row lake. | 
. 
Miscellaneous.—No. 143 of the hes Gesell. f. Erdkunde 
contains Dr. Polakowsky’s account of the Central American State of 
Honduras, the first of a promised series upon these republics. This 
republic, which has a population of 331,917, is loaded by a large debt 
incurred on account of the inter-oceanic railway. 
Mexico now has 4700 miles of railway, Brazil 6000, Peru 5000} 
Chili 1630, the Argentine Republic 4700, and the smaller republics 

