520 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VII., No. 175 



of teachers to the board and elementary schools, 

 the society would have accomplished much. It 

 was perhaps characteristic of the absence of theo- 

 ry in the proceedings of the practically minded 

 average Briton, that they who had done more as 

 a nation to explore and colonize the distant parts 

 of the world than any six other nations should 

 have at home less instruction given in our schools 

 on the subject of geography than was enjoyed by 

 the youth of most of the European peoples. 



The belief was expressed that the work of dis- 

 covery had recently been aided by the Indian 

 army in Burmah, and by the impulse given by 

 Australia to the exploration of New Guinea. 



The death of the British commissioner might 

 have temporarily checked measures that would 

 lead to the investigation of this latter country ; 

 but they might trust to the enterprise of Ford 

 and other explorers, and to the activity with 

 which Australasian commercial interests were 

 pushed, for additions to our knowledge of an island 

 of which it must with some shame be said that a 

 few birds of paradise had hitherto represented its 

 available export trade. With Baron von Muller 

 as president of the Melbourne branch of the 

 Australasian geographical society, they might be 

 sure that the scientific aspects of the investigation 

 of this magnificent new field would not be over- 

 looked. 



In Canada, again, Selwyn and Dawson and 

 Macoun had been engaged in marking the value 

 to science of the recent discoveries in geology, 

 mineralogy, and meteorology made possible by 

 the rapid completion of the Pacific railway across 

 hitherto unknown mountain-ranges, whose ridges 

 were the birthplaces of waters flowing into the 

 Arctic, into Hudson's Bay, and the Gulf of Mex- 

 ico. So valuable were the storm-signals to be 

 derived from stations in the far north-west, that 

 the American government had gladly placed the 

 observations of nearly ninety stations at the dis- 

 posal of the Canadian government, in return for 

 those from about twenty in the British domin- 

 ions. 



The messages flashed from Toronto and Wash- 

 ington over the American continent and across 

 the Atlantic had already been the means of sav- 

 ing many thousands of lives, and afforded the 

 most practical recent proof of the immediate 

 utility of scientific induction. The western points 

 at which records were kept were spots wholly un- 

 known to the geographer a century and a half 

 ago. 



There are few among our race, whether belong- 

 ing to the nation of their gold medallist, Greely, 

 or to their own, who would not place a higher 

 value on the discoveries in that north-western 



land than on those which should open to them 

 access to the torrid zones. They gladly recognized 

 the gallant efforts made by other races, notably 

 by the Italians ; and, while they gave the gold 

 medal to him whom they might almost call their 

 countryman, they were glad to recognize the aid 

 given to their science by Signor Cora, and they 

 condoled with Italy in the recent loss of the leader 

 and members of the expedition recently massa- 

 cred near Aden. 



Having briefly reviewed the chief geographical 

 events of the year, the Marquis of Lorne con- 

 cluded by saying that the mere string of notes, 

 telling of what in a twelvemonth had been ac- 

 complished, showed how quick was now the 

 invading march of knowledge. 



A FINAL BUFFALO-HUNT. 



The National museum has sent its chief taxi- 

 dermist, Mr. William T. Hornaday, on a hunting- 

 tour through the far west, for the purpose of 

 obtaining specimens of the buffalo, before this 

 animal becomes extinct in this country. Mr. 

 Hornaday took with him as an assistant Mr. A. 

 H. Forney, an attache of the museum. The 

 party reached Miles City, Montana, May 12. 

 Some Crow Indians are said to have killed four 

 buffaloes on the Mussel - shell River about six 

 weeks ago. It is firmly believed by many good 

 authorities that there are not now more than 

 from fifty to one hundred buffaloes in the whole 

 of Montana, outside of the National park, where 

 there are probably from two hundred to three 

 hundred head. Hunters lie in wait outside the 

 limits of the National park, waiting for these 

 animals to cross the line, when they lose no time 

 in despatching them as soon as possible. A 

 stampede may occur at any time, which may 

 result in all the buffaloes now in the park leav- 

 ing ; and if such were the case, very few, it any, 

 would escape. 



Mr. Hornaday and his party were received by 

 the commanding officer at Fort Keogh, and fur- 

 nished with a six-mule team, a driver, and escort. 

 The plan of route is to cross the Yellowstone at 

 Miles City, proceeding up Sunday Creek and Hun- 

 ter's Creek to its source ; thence across to Big 

 Dry River, following it down to the Big Bend ; 

 thence across and westward up Big Timber 

 Creek ; and eventually across to the Mussel-shell 

 River, which it is proposed to explore almost its 

 entire length. This route probably covers every 

 chance for finding buffaloes in Montana or else- 

 where. There is said to be a small herd of from 

 eight to twelve buffaloes in south-western Dakota. 

 This region is a vast, level, treeless prairie utterly 



