1893.} Geology and Paleontology. 375 
General Notes. 
GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY. 
Currents of the North Atlantic.—Prince Albert, of Monaco, 
has recently published a chart of the currents of the North Atlantic, 
entirely based upon the results of a series of experiments he has been 
conducting since 1885. In that year he launched 160 floats at inter- 
vals, along a line of 170 miles, in the direction of N. 14° W. from a 
point 110 miles northwest from Cowo, one of the Azores. The follow- 
ing year 510 floats were launched, nearly in the meridian 17° 40° west 
of Greenwich, between 42° 34’ and 50° N. latitude. In 1887, 931 
floats were launched along a line extending from the Azores to the 
Grand Banks, of Newfoundland. During the same year, a group of 
floats was launched between two other points in the North Atlantic, 
between the Azores and Newfoundland. 
Of the floats thus launched, 227 were sent back to the experimenter 
with detailed information as to the place and date of finding. These 
several histories gave indications of the direction and speed of the cur- 
rents which floated them. The internal edge of the great vortex per- 
forms a revolution with a very short radius round a point south-west 
of the Azores, and not very distant from them. The cycle described 
by objects drawn into the vortex is renewed indefinitely, except in the 
case where they escape by an offshoot into the Arctic regions. 
The mean velocity for the region comprised between the Azores, 
Ireland, and Norway is 3.97 nautical miles in 24 hours; between the 
Azores, France, Portugal, and the Canaries it is 5.18 nautical miles in 
24 hours. From the Canaries to the West Indies, the Bahamas, and 
even to Bermuda, it attains 10.11 nautical miles in 24 hours. In the 
eastern portion of the arc, which extends from Bermuda to the Azores, 
it falls again to 6.42 nautical miles in 24 hours. The mean velocity is 
4.48 nautical miles in 24 hours. ( Proceeds. Roy. Geog. Soc., Sept., 
1892. ) 
Fins of Paleaspis Americana.— Mr. Claypole has recently 
published the description of certain objects which he believes to be 
the fins of Paleaspis americana. This fossil Mr. Claypole at first sup- 
posed to be a spine, but upon examination it was found to be mar- 
