82 General Notes. _ (January, 
quently arrested by deep ravines, which seam the banks, and 
suddenly disclose their precipitous and dismal depths, the more 
unexpectedly as the plain over which one happens to be march- 
ing appears to be perfectly level. A river usually flows at the 
bottom of these enormous crevasses bordered with trees and 
shrubs. Footpaths lead into many of them, but the descent is 
most difficult, especially for mules and pack-camels.” 
On reaching the mouth of the Churmysh, and reconnoitering 
the country for a distance of nearly thirty miles, Prejevalsky “ be- 
came convinced of the impossibility of crossing the enormous 
mountain-chain extending along the Yellow river.' The summits 
of these mountains are lost in clouds, gloomy ravines are encoun- 
tered at every verst, and there is not the slightest trace of vege- 
tation, therefore no forage for our animals. Pursuing my 
investigations further, I saw clearly that our mules could never 
go round these mountains, the roads being only accessible for 
camels accustomed to the privations of the desert, and it is even 
doubtful if camels could accomplish the ascent of the Burkan- 
Buddha.” He therefore turned back down the stream to Houi-deé, 
forty miles below Gomi, arriving there two months after his de- 
parture from Sining. 
Five hundred specimens of birds and many fishes and plants 
have been collected. “ Blue pheasants were particularly numerous. 
This fine bird, only a few specimens of which may be seen in the 
Museums of Paris, St. Petersburg, and London is met with fre- 
quently at an altitude of 9500 feet. Every day we killed several, 
and preserved twenty-six for our collections. Had it not been 
for difficulty of transport, we might have collected hundreds. The 
second rarity of this country is rhubarb, often found in large 
quantities. Old roots of it grow to a colossal size. One of those 
I took measured sixteen inches in length, twelve in breadth, and 
seven in thickness, and weighed twenty-six pounds.” 
MICROSCOPY.! 
ADULTERATIONS OF Drucs.—A report. on this subject by C- 
Lewis Diehl, in the National Board of Health Bulletin, states that 
most of the information that can be gained on the subject is too 
vague or general in its character to be satisfactory. It is under- 
stood that the falsification of drugs is carried on extensively at 
the present time, and it is known that certain drugs are particu- 
larly subject to adulteration or falsification, but there is great 
difficulty in obtaining particulars that are definite or valuable. 
The literature of the subject, except a few papers of general scope, 
is mostly included in the standard text books of pharmacy, and 
in the Proceedings of the American Pharmaceutical Association, 
which have been published annually since 1852. The author dis- 
criminates carefully between deteriorations which may take place 
1This department is edited by Dr. R. H. Ward, Troy, N. Y. 
