Miscellaneous Intelligence. 431 
decreasing since (about) 1852, with an annual rate between —2°2’ 
at Sitka, —1°5’ at Unalashka, 1:0’ at Port Clarence near Bering 
Strait, and 1:2’ at Point Barrow. Crossing to Asia, the dips indi- 
cate a maximum about 1854, which appears to be supported by 
the dips at Port Clarence, and has been conjectured for Unalashka. 
The position of the pole of the vertical dip was deduced by 
Ross, as follows: in June, 1831 in p 70° 05:3’, A=—96° 45:8’. Mr. 
Schott obser ves, “‘ It seems perhaps more reasonable to suppose its 
range of displacement to be quite limited than to assign to it, as 
has been done, a path surrounding the geographical pole, and to 
be described in several centuries.” “Observations on H. M. 8. 
Brazen in 1813 point to approaching verticality in p=69° and A 
= —92°;” and “ Lieut. Schwatka supposes the pole in 1879 to have 
shifted to A=—99° 35’, while he leaves any change in its latitude 
undecided.” Mr. Schott adds, “If the secular diminution extends 
to this northern region, the pole would now be found in a higher 
latitude than that given by Ross, but of this we are not certain. 
It is to be regretted that no steps were taken toward its solution 
in connection with the late international circumpolar explora- 
tions.” 
The first 125 pages of Mr. Schott’s able paper are occupied 
with a tabulation and discussion of observations; and Part third 
treats of the secular variations of the horizontal component of the 
magnetic force and of the total intensity in the United States, and 
contains a table of the annual value of observed magnetic hori- 
zontal force at prominent stations. 
ITV. MISCELLANEOUS SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 
1. Die Hochseen der Ostalpen.—Dr. Aveust Boum has given in 
a recent publication of the Vienna Geographical Society an inter- 
esting discussion of the distribution of lakes on the earth’s surface. 
Alluding to the recognized fact that lakes occur for the most part 
in groups and as connected with glacial phenomena, he goes on 
to show that there is a connection between their situation and 
their altitude. In other words, it may be shown that the height 
of the mountain lakes above the sea, in general, increases as we 
go from the pole toward the equator, somewhat as the snow 
level rises. The Alpine lakes, which give the data for this dis- 
cussion, are divided into two groups, the valley and mountain 
lakes. The former are in general large and occupy the valley 
bottoms, forming a horizontal zone among themselves ; they lie 
on the circumference of the former glacial region, where the ice 
streams at the time of maximum glaciation could exert their 
greatest force. ‘The latter are generally small and are situated 
high up in the heart of the mountain region, but they also occur 
in greatest abundance at a definite altitude in each mountain 
chain, marking the last phase of the retreat of the shrinking 
glaciers. These mountain lakes are regarded as having but an 
ephemeral nature; the filling of the lake with detritus and the 
