May 24, 1858.] 
GERMAN PUBLICATIONS. 
283 
During the past year several laborious investigations have been 
made to fix the exact altitude above the level of the sea of some 
central points of Germany, to serve as bases for a mass of hyp- 
sometrical data accumulated during many years, and also to set 
at rest the question of the levels of the Adriatic and Baltic seas. For 
example, Professor Bohm, director of the Observatory at Prague, has 
determined the altitude of that place above the Baltic at 99'37 toises, 
and above the Adriatic at 9 7 '03 toises ; the second part of his inves- 
tigation, namely, that referring to the level of the Adriatic Sea, 
remaining, however, uncertain, whilst J. P. Julius Schmidt has 
fixed the height of the Observatory of Olmiitz at 109*81 toises. 
The Essay of Dr. Meyn on the Friederichs-Koog, an extensive 
piece of ground in Holstein, gained from the sea, is a notable 
addition to the history of the Coasts of the North Sea; and 
the most important works on Southern Europe are those of Pro- 
fessor W. Yischer on Greece in the year 1853, and of Professor 
J. Eoth on Mount Vesuvius. 
Of German travellers in Asiatic countries, Dr. Eoth, to whom I 
alluded last year, must be specially mentioned ; for his researches 
will throw much light on countries mentioned in the Sacred writ- 
ings. One of his best results is his exploration of the Wady Akaba, 
the watershed or culminating point of which, between the Dead 
Sea and Eed Sea, is ascertained to be at the salt-marsh Godiyan, 
about seven hours’ travelling from Akaba, which is 113 English feet 
above the level of the Eed Sea. Dr. Eoth has also made interesting 
discoveries in natural history, and has noticed that the crocodile 
lives in the rivers Zerka and Difleh (32° 35' N. lat.), a fact unob- 
served by former travellers. At present he is exploring the coun- 
tries east of the Jordan. 
a Memoir ; both maps and memoirs being prepared and published in English, in consider- 
ation of the interest England takes in these countries, and also of the benefit accruing to 
their works from English researches. Another work, by F. H. von Kittlitz, ‘ Remi- 
niscences (Denkwiirdigkeiten) of a Voyage to Russian America, Kamtchatka, and Islands 
in the Pacific,’ contains many observations on the zoology and physical geography of these 
regions. J. G. Mayr’s Atlas of the Alps, containing the whole of Switzerland, is now 
published. This atlas comprises 9 sheets, and extends over all the chain of the Alps and 
its flanks, the author himself having, during many years, travelled over all this region.. 
Another work relating to the Alps, by Professor Simony, of Vienna, represents in a series 
of landscape-pictures, highly finished and printed in colours, characteristic geological 
views of Alpine scenery. A Geological Atlas of Austria, by Franz Foetterle, in Vienna, 
is far advanced, and will soon be published. A Plan of Prague, and a Map of the sur- 
rounding Country, both by Professor Korislka, of Prague, are elaborately drawn and 
coloured on a system of contour lines, and are accompanied by a Memoir. A work on 
Earthquakes, in three vols., by Dr. Otto Volger, particularly on the Earthquakes of 
Switzerland, is nearly ready ; whilst the Exploration of the Taurus, in Asia Minor, with 
Map and large Diagram of the Geographical Distribution of the Vegetation, is published 
by Kolsky, the botanist, who accompanied Russegger in his well-known travels. 
