250 The American Naturalist. [April, 
Europe; The Kopias See.— Herr Supan (Petermann's 
Mitteilungen III. 1889.)— gives -m account of the Kopias See, 
in the Baeotian mountains of Greece, and of the works under- 
taken since 1883 by the engineer Pochet for its reclamation 
In the above mentioned mountains are three basins, the Kopias, 
Likeri and Paralimni, all of which are permanenly or periodi- 
cally filled by lakes which drain into the sea through the earth. 
The largest of these is the Kopias See which extends north- 
ward in two bays and westward iscontinuous with the wide valley 
of the Kephissos. Near the edge of this lake and not above 
twenty metres above its level, lie the ruins of Thebes and 
Livadia. The Kephissos and many other streams fall into 
these basins, and as the rainfall of the region varies greatly at 
different seasons and in different years, so does the level of the 
waters of the lake, thus banishing cultivation from any spot 
within several metres in height of the lowest level. In 1852 
and 1864 even the ruins of Livadia were covered. Yet in the 
oldest period of Grecian history the kingdom of Minyas with 
its capital Orchomenos, occupied the sight of the Kopias, and 
in three spots traces of the canals and other works made to 
control the waters may be seen. The modern works consist 
of a ring-canal and an inner canal. These canals unite in the 
eastern bay of the lake, and the united canal is carried by a 
succession of cuttings and tunnels through the Likeri and 
Paralimini lakes into the sea. 
Geographical News.— The greatest known depths of the 
various oceans are thus given by Dr. Supan (Petermann's 
Mitteilungen, III. 1889). 
North Pacific Ocean 440 55' N. lat. iqao 26' W. Ion?. Sqi^ metres. 
South Pacific •' 240 37' S. " ^IS- W. '' 8101 " 
North Atlantic Ocean 190 39' N. " 66026 W. " 8341 " 
The archives of Savona, a city not far to the west of Geno; 
taly, prove that the family of Christopher Columbus lived < 
lat city about 1470. 
regions will thus be represented with their correct curvature. 
This globe will not be so large as that of Mr. Wyld, which for 
a long time disfigured Leicester Square, London, but will have 
