114 
Even those explorers who attempt to describe 
closely what they see are hampered by the lack 
of terms of precise meaning with which to name 
the elements of a landscape; for, apart from 
the rarity of teaching in this important branch 
of physical geography, there is too little recog- 
nition of the connection that necessarily and 
often clearly exists between internal structure 
and external form, — too great neglect of the 
evolution of topography, during which the fea- 
tures of youth, maturity, and old age, succeed 
one another. There should be a terminology 
as well defined and extensive as that which 
botanists have invented for the description of 
leaves; for it is about as indefinite to call a 
country hilly as to call a plant leafy. There 
should be a collection of typical forms in models 
or figures marked with descriptive terms, ap- 
proved by some authoritative body, to serve as 
a standard by which travellers might be trained. 
The question is well worthy the attention of 
geographic societies and congresses. 
Ir is much to be regretted that it has been 
found necessary to suspend the operations of 
It was 
organized about two years ago, under the di- 
rection of Mr. Raphael Pumpelly, to obtain a 
comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of 
the resources of the vast region in the north- 
western part of our country tributary to the 
Northern Pacific railroad and the associated 
companies, at whose cost it was undertaken. 
Up to that time this extensive territory, em- 
bracing, perhaps, one-fifth of the United States, 
had been very imperfectly explored geographi- 
cally, and was still less known as regards those 
resources which will contribute to the business 
of the railroads that traverse it. A large 
amount of accurate information has now been 
gathered, and in small part published. Mr. 
A. D. Wilson, of broad experience in western 
exploration, was put in charge of the topo- 
graphical work, with Messrs. Goode and Nell 
as chief aids; and we have just received a set 
of six maps, the fruit of their first season’s 
surveys, a notice of which will be found in the 
‘ Notes and news.’ 
the Northern transcontinental survey. 
SCIENCE. 
|" an a oe 
[Vou. III., No. BQ 
From a circular just issued by Professor 
Dohrn, we learn that the cost of publishing the — 
Zoologischer jahresbericht for 1879 and 1880 
amounted to nearly $7,000, while the income 
from sales of the publication amounted to only 
$2,317. The zodlogical station at Naples has 
thus been obliged to meet a large deficit, 
amounting to at least two-thirds of the cost of 
publication. It is plainly not within the means 
of the station to continue indefinitely this work 
without assistance. The governments of Italy, 
Germany, and Russia, as well as one or two 
zoOlogical societies of Holland, have made sub- 
ventions which cover about one-third of the — 
deficit. The three volumes of this work already 
completed speak for themselves. Every natu- 
ralist will learn with regret that a work of such 
general usefulness is in danger of being dis- 
continued from the cause above named. We 
certainly hope that Professor Dohrn’s appeal 
for assistance will meet with a liberal response, 
both in the way of subscriptions for the Jahres- 
bericht and in subventions. 
——— ee 
P nat bbe 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 
*,* Correspondents are requested to beas brief as possible. The 
writer's name is in all cases required as proof of good faith. 
Earthquake waves at San Francisco. 
ASSISTANT George Davidson telegraphs the super- 
intendent of the U.S. coast and geodetic survey from 
San Francisco, that at 7 h. 24 m., last evening, earth- 
quake waves were indicated by the delicate levels of 
the astronomical instruments of the observatory. The — 
amplitude of each vibration was three seconds of are, © 
in three seconds of time, and they continued for 
twenty minutes. C. O. BOUTELLE, 
Assist. in charge of office, ete. 
Coast and geodetic survey office, 
Jan. 26, 1884. 
Influence of winds on tree-growth. : 
I notice at p. 471 of the issue of Science for Oct.5 
some remarks by Mr. W.S. Kennedy on the influence ~ 
of winds on tree-growth. It may be of interest to 
learn that many of the trees on the seashore at Gov- 
ernment House, Malabar Point, Bombay, are bent — 
landward from the effect of the prevailing sea-breeze.-_ 
HH. Rivert-Carnac. 
Allahabad, N. W. P., India, 
Dee. 8, 1883. 
Some curious natural snowballs. 
On p. 237, vol. i., of Science, under notes and news, — 
is a reference to some curious snowballs noticed in 
Scientific American for March 17. Such an exhibi- 
tion I lately saw; and it may interest readers of 
Science to know the conditions favoring such a phe- 
nomenon. a 
On Jan. 8 and 9 some thirty inches of snow fell 
in this region, followed by warmer weather and ] 
rain on the night of the 10th, settling the snow in 
« 
