Geography and TravelsSource: The American Naturalist, Vol. 16, No. 12 (Dec., 1882), pp. 1034-1040Published by: The University of Chicago Press for The American Society of NaturalistsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2448938 .

Accessed: 19/05/2014 14:52

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

The University of Chicago Press and The American Society of Naturalists are collaborating with JSTOR todigitize, preserve and extend access to The American Naturalist.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.103 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:52:26 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

I034 Geiertzl Notes. LDecember,

analyses, such as would have contented most writers, while chemical analyses are often needed to establish the identity of a species. The broader study of the orinioi of species can be done by close observation alone.

The attention of our younger mineralogists should be partic- ularly called to the value of a full description of the association ss of minerals. The selected specimens in our cabinets, from which all " dirt " has been removed can teach us nothing of their origin. It is the rough masses in their natural home, interpenetrated by more recent minerals, or occurring in veins in those which are older, wh ich, with their prodUcts of decomposition, are most worthy of study, both macroscopically and microscopically. A study of mineralogTical development may finally lead to a new basis of classification, such as has already been attempted in lithology.

A MOUNTAIN OF MI\ARTITE.-An iron mountain, the Cerro de Mercedo, which rises abruptly out of the plain near the city of Durango, Mexico, and which, a mile in length, is so covered by passes of iron ore as to conceal all rock outcrops has been re- ported upon by Mr. John Birkenbine, and the ore further described by Professsor IS. Silliman. The ore has the streak and composi- tion of hematite, but the octahedral character of the crystals showed it to be martite, and it is probable that the wvhole mass has been altered from magnetite.

ANALYSIS OF HELVITE.-Mr. R. Haines contributes to the Franklin Institute Journal, a correction of his analysis of the Helvite, from Amelia Co., Virginia, found by the writer and first recorded in the April NATURALIST. A re-examination of the specific gravity showed his first determination to have been erron- eous, owing to the small amount of material at hand. It is now found to be 3.29. A new analysis gave total SiO , 32.49 per cent. of which 5.17 per celit. was insoluble in sodic carbonate, and is regarded as gangue. The full analysis was not completed.

GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVELS.'

PROCEEDINGS OF TfHE GEOGRAPHICAL SECtiON OF THE BRITISH ASsOcIATION.-The mneetinig of the Br-itish Association for the Ad- vancemient of Science, this year, was held at Southampton, from August 23d to 3oth.

The subject of the opening address of the president of the Geographical Section, was the Central Plateau of Asia.

Thi- area," he said, " which is one of the most wonderful on the surface of the earth, contains nearl-y3,ooo,ooo of Eniglish square miles, and is eqtial to three- fourths of Europe. Its; limits, its exterior configuration, its central and comnland- ing situation iii the Asiatic continent, wxill he clearly perceived from the large d(lia- gram of Asia which is exhibited here. As compared with some of the more favored regions, it is singularly destitute of natural advantages. Though it has several deep depressions of surface, yet its general elevation is very considerable, and some of

1Edited by ELLIS H. YARNALL, Philadelphia.

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.103 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:52:26 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

i882.] Geograzphay and Travels. I135

its large districts are the most elevated its the globe. It is walled in from the outer world antd excluded from the benign influence of the sea by mountain chains. Its climate then is very severe on the whole, mnore distinguished for cold thtan for beat, but often displaying extremes of temperature hibh as well as low. It offers fromn the character of its contour, extraordinary obstacles to commi-nunication by land or or water. Though seldom inaccessible to coutra-eotus explorers, it is generally hard of access, and in several respects very inhospitable. In the progress of civili- zation it is, with reference to its historic past, excessively backwardl. Its capacities for the production of wealth have been but little developed. Its population is scanty, scattered, and unculturecd. Its agricL1ftine comprises only a few areas widely seareoated fromn each other, and many of its la1"-et distr icts are am-iazing~ly tlesolate. Nevertheless this plateati has eminent claimxi onl the attention of geogcraphcrs, for several reasons, which may be summi-narized thts :-i. A motuntain system which domino ates the greater part of Asia, and includes stopendoits rtanges with the loftiest peaks yet discovered in the world. 2. A series of heights and clepressioiis almost like the steps of a staircase within the motuoutainous citcun-mvallation of tfte plateaum. 3. The soLtrces, and the perti-arettt sutpfly of tiv eis which, passing ftout tlte pl.teat, floxw tlirOLt Ih densely populated regions, and help to sustain the most ritinuimrous families of the human race. 4. A lactustrine system, comprisinlg Likes, of which some ate saline while others have fresh wtter, and of which n-tusny ale sitateil at oreat altittdces 5. The home of conquering races, whence warrior hordes fpoture(l d:tt inc' several centuries over nearly all Asia and a lir e patt of Europe. 6. Natural prodltc's of vallue, variety, or interest, and pImstorial iesoLutce sttsceptible of indclei nite development. 7. An enormnotus field for SCientific research, with iitany reg'IOInS which, though not wholly undiscovered, yet need nttich fttther tliscovery. S. An imiperiall jurisdiction offering many problems for the cotisideration of social inquirers.'

The consideration of these points in detail occupied the re- mainder of Sir R. Temple's address.

Mr. John Ball discussed sotne points of the physical geog- raphy of South America, and especially the " remarkable con- trast that exists between the climate of the eastern and western sides of the continent. On the eastern side of the great range of the Andes, which extends from north to south, a distance of more than 3500 English miles, you find throughout the vast em- pire of Brazil, from some degrees north of the equator to the tropic of Capricorn, copious rains which maintain extraordinary fertility and the full luxuriance of the tropical fauna and flora. On the opposite or western side, the tropical climate, vith its characteristic vegetation, extends to the Pacific coast from the Isthmus of Panama to the Bay of Guayaquil. But the headlands w"lhich ma-rk the southern litrit of that bay--Capes Parinas and Blanco-also mar-k a sudden and complete change of climate. From the latter cape, lying about five degrees south of the equa- tor, the comparatively narrow strip of land lyingy between the Andes and the Pacific coast-for a distance of fully I500 miles -lies in what has been called the rainless zone of Western South America." Agailn, " in the southern province of Brazil and thence southward to the estuary of the Plata, the climate sho0vs a gradctal transition front' the'm:ist tropical type to the dry chara1 - ter of the pa'npais region, which in a more mlArked degree pre- vails in the south of the Argentine territory and through Eastern Pat- agronia. Exactly an opposite 'change OCCttiS on the western side. In Chili, from Copiapo, where rain is rare and insufficient, to Valdivia, where it is excessive in amount, there is, as you travel

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.103 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:52:26 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

1036 Gencral Notes. [December,

southward, a graduLal and steady increase in annual rainfall, with a corresponding change in the vegetation. The coast south groin Valdivia, extending throughout Western Patagonia to the western end of the straits of Magellan, is apparently the part of the earth out of the tropics where the annual rainfall is greatest"

At Tumbez, on the south side of the Bay of Guavaqulil, are frequent hcavy rains and a mean temperature of about 820 F., wvitlh rich tropical vegetation; whereas at Payta, scarcely a hun- tired miles distant, no rain falls for two years at a time, and the average ternpel-rature is Imuch lower than at Tumbez, while the coast is absolutely bare of vegetation.

The nildness of the climate, and especially of the winter climate, of the straits of Alagellan is also without adequate ex-

laination. \Mr. Joseph Thomison read a valuable paper on the Geograph-

ical EVolution. of the Tanganylika Basin. The vaiiioS slaaaes 0i the exolltioin of the anayanyika B3Aasini were summarize(d as

follows ;-"''he fitxct appcriaince of the Inltulli continent, wnie have heen lecl to believe fromn vat rios thenretica l conxsi(leration., wv is the aiiiieatatice of a fold of the earth's Crist hoxtulded 1)v twio lines of weaknies, convertain- towar(Is the soith, which fold r adi iil)ly rocse till it appeare(i aboove the ocean, first alona these two lines of weveak- tess, ii tcue fonim of a series cof iSilai sd xxvhicli finally join, enclositci ill their ceiitre a large pliit of the ocxan. Inhlisi enclosed ivaiter area fori-ned a great ceiitral sea, anid the eiclol( ;Sinir land(l alii, the line of xvarinkess is nov itidicated izv the east ati(l west coast it;ages. Iii the iSccoild staire the contilienit of Aftica soxith of 50 N. latitude pre- seiited the oxitlitie of tlhc c ntillent of to-(lIv. The thicld stage shoxs the central lilateact xvithl the -teat ceiit al sea veiy iiicllh dtiininiished iii size atncd aliai-st coicict- ina xvitli the plesent Co1go b~siii. TIlete is as yet ino evi:lenice of the exixteace of TaItaallyilka. After an eixot mocLISt pc li()ci of untidistirbed deposition of sancd ill the sea, tlte foutirth stacre iS ushred inl lby a htoio(I of atreat contitiiental convulsions. On

the line otfthe fxitore Tanaanytlka a linte hisi of stock is intirided itlto the thirlibbino crust, int(1 the sxii-ioxitilditia retiot elcrvated to a conaiderable extent, followed Ii)) the suiloseqluiat collillse of tle b)()(ly of the elevasled aiea nit -itiatiii the gr eat abysis of Ta. ixiiaiii I ia. Thlie hiftuh re t staoe is iiitiael d 1)) the fotrmatiota of a clatitirel tliiottli thIe western coast tioutaini calisinto the dirattini or of the great central sea, xhichi im-l- nie(ilately lecoties the iinaer Irlriiriage area of the Cotigo. The sixth stage theal sees Ta'I siivtil i tiolate(il as a lake liy itself, frotia which time plates the oltiaoildin of its liresitit scetterv, the foriiatioia of ati ouitlet, the freshenitag of its xvaters, ai(l the loxv- enimt Orf its level; atil, finally, we hlave seeti that the ititetiliittencv of the lake's otit- flow is .51x1laite(l by tlce liroblabile fact that tIe rainfall antd evaporation tiearly balance each oticr in oi rlin~tiy seasons.''

One of the m1-lost learned and elaborate papers was by M. P. deTchlihatcltef, on. the Deserts of Africa and Asia.

After treating, at length of the geology ancl phy7sical changes of thle desertt of Sahara, hie g-ives the following resume of the mn ost prominent features in its weological history:-

'I. The records tof this history are very o0(, for the soxithet n re tions of the present Sahara xere represented dulcring the Devoiniuai period hya certain iaxtialis) r of isolaited iiiasses of liimes onie, gtietss, at(il iiascihiste, the limestone cottainina Devonian fossilIs. Those tiiasses cotiserveh lhroghi all the stuccee(liio ages their insular posi- tioii, atIl ieer sutiik agaii un(ler tlhe sea. 2. It was Clcrill(r the Cietlaceouis epoch that a lorge portioni if the lresetit Sahara xvas uliraished uclei the shape of variously rami'fied tiasses, so that the sea of the followxing geological pelioltIs could d peietraue h o their itateriior, foriiila igtiitearoits gxtlfs an(ut hays. 3. The Saharta ax as Yepyresent- ed xtiatil the Qitalertiary epoch chiefly hiy those cretaceous maaasses which since their upheaval have tiever been covered by the sea.

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.103 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:52:26 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

1882.1 Geograply and Tr-aves. I037

" During the Quateruary period, amiloug the oulrs wh71ielh washed the shores of the cretaceous land, the largest ocCip)ieci the present country of Jghar-ghar the northern extremnity of that gulf reached the lace of I31iskra, awl the southeirll the cretaceous plateaux of Tadelmayt. and Tinghert; the toown Uai ,la occlulpies almost the centisl part of the gulf. As from the uoi th, the last was enntiely secluded fIronal any coni- muurilicatiou with the sea, the littolal paiL of Algeria havin ci heen oprtaisedl a lonig time before, and consistincr then, as now, ill milore oi lssXlhi h1llmoulnt ab1i's, the 1,1irie (tLiater- nary gulf could not find any other AN ay in the ii-tel1 io of the Salhi iana ci etaeous con- tiiaett thain throu1ih the present ntlf of Gabhe aicl dw hit plroXves th at hete iv;1s Xeally the entrance of th'e qlateinaiy oulf, is the 1narr1owN Stlil Of clil ivial deposits which, surrounded hy ci etaceous iocls, extenlls Itoem Gabs P nito thc s ,lt lale of El-l ecdjedI ('Tritoiiis lacus). This geological fact is important in efkrince to the qlueestini, so long discussed, of the ancient coimlnUllicatioia hctX eei the lake and the sea; it con- firims the hvpothesis of Comaniader RPoudait c itd I amn not aw aie that this ar.gol- nlient, which, I coinsicder as the stionisest of ill, has eer bcei n ciiccl in his favor. The Upheaval of thc cjuateinary lair0e 01Il ( aiid of many otlhec sinacllei oines) wvas the last iaaiie iphasis which the Sachata ndcilselvit. . 4Once entirely raised( op in all its palrts, the S alhata laac still to undteirgo a sitia)eii al opi- atioan wh ich conisis ted hia the foini nation aidl acconalation of sands. It cdises the ftiii-ii aiiil li.st s:rae of her Ioug geological history, witliout slaeakiing of the cilt-n-cict cimaatic aiid topogniaplaiical imuod- ificitmiointa of qloite recent tiiaies. 1his histiio, 1as it has lieca XhownlX proves tlhat aheie caia he no lonaoer qoestioma of a recemat emnersioia of tIhe XXliole S- ihXia fioma the lhottoni of the sea. It is tiL-e the Libhyama ilescit is plolialylX' soiaeXhIit yoc)i0tier than her Saharamiaa sister, for tertiary uncovemecl cleposits (Eoceiic and Miocemac) have tlaere a laIroem- development than the Cretaccous oiaes; aut, eec adliaittiiXi thiwat thce Ibihyan cleseit hlas lbeeta tipi aisedl aftci the Alioceiae peiiocl, it camamaot lie cal leil r recent '

As rearicls tlac gieat (iJeert of Asia-the Gohi, tleie is ahonclatnt ev ideiace to showv its aiiciciit fiimatioa, and it is "prolbaale that aftei its cipheaval this large surface has evem laecia oXemfliocled ly the sea, as little as the Scliah Lihyma desert siice the

Cretaceous and 1ertiary periocls, or the Tciirkestama dleserits since thle P alcizo)ic epoch. Once mote, in the (Gobi, as in the othel tivo desets, the sainl accunatlaltions- had notlailti to do with mat tie deposits; they wet e chiefly pi oclncecl liy atuaospheric ageiacies, aticl, as fat as the Gohi is co-icei tiedlth ftcctientsilciciOUs iocks, as craniite, syeiaite, gneiss, &c., were particularly apt to yield sufficient mlaterials to tla foi nation of qciartz sands. It is supemfliUOims to add thast tle upheaval of thoae clesciiscl did iot tale place at once, lat sciccesiVely, as we have seeit ill the S-ahara-Lili)ran clesert, wlaere Cretaceous atad T'ertiary roclks appearccl, the ote after tIte other, leaving still large tract-s oectlatecl lay sea ori fresh Ia xtet hasiln, wXhricih were filed 011 iiinly dcliiiti the. Qciaternary epoch, ot eveta in a mote i ecetat oiX e. 'lalerefore it is highly probalile that, like the Saharai-Lihy an cleset, the Asi itic deserts wece also crossed, lohim aftet the cipheaval of lteit chief portions, by oiilfs, cir citintaitieci numerous fresh w atet hasinis."

The Geograplhy and Meteorology of Kansas was treated of by Dr. Litton Forbes. It would be impossible perhaps, to find a country of equal extent where the physical changes produced by the advent of civilization have been so numn-erous or so important. Not only has the faunla been in m-eat part changed, but thle flora also, as well as the amounIt of rainfall and the g-eneral hygrometric conditions of thle atmosphere. Not merely has tile number of inches of annual rainfall llncreased, but it lhas also been moire equitably extended over a larger extent of country. The pro- gression westward of the rainfall of Kansas, in proportion as settlc- nment has extended westwaird, is a most important fact. It may be clue in part to the planting of timber, but is probably Mnich more directly dependent on tthe immense acreage under wheat, corn, and other crops, which afford protection to the earth from the sun's rays, and so check a too rapid evaporation.

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.103 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:52:26 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

I033 General Notes. [December,

The State of Kansas forms a rectangular parallelogram, which measures about 400 miles from east to west, and about 200 from north to south, and contains over 82,000 square miles. Though to the eye apparently one vast, level plain, it is really a more or less elevated plateau, which slopes eastward at an appreciable angle. The higThest, or western portion of the State, is about 4000 feet above. the level of the sea, while the average height of the whole country may be placed at about 2375 feet. The main water course is the Ark-lansas river, which has a fall of about six feet in the mnil. In spite of the absence of hills, Kansas is singu- larly free from marshland or swamps. This is due, in part, to the fr-iable nature of the soil, and in part to the natural slope of the land towards the east. \WVhat is known as the " Great Arkansas Valley of South-western Kansas," embraces a width of fifty miles, nearly the whole of which is sloping upland. The soil here is a sandy loam, of alluvial origin, and of great depth and fertility. A remarkable Deculiarity of the Arkansas river is. that it never overflows its banks, but, so to say, underflows them. The water filters through the gravelly stratum underlying the surface-soil of the valley, and niav always be found by digging for it. From a meteorological point of view, Kansas mayt be said to be divided into' three distinct zones, marked off by the amount of rainfall. In the extreme east the rainfall assimilates itself to that of Mis- souri, and is ample for all purposes of agriculture. In the middle zone, which may be said to lie in Central Kansas, the rainfall is less, yet amply sufficient for all purposes of farming or pasturage. The vegetation here is extraordinarily profuse, and is sub-tropical in character-. The third and last zone lies in the western and South-western pOrtions of the State. Here the climate resembles that of Colorado, and the rainfall is insufficient for agriculture, though sufficient for grazing purposes. It would seem, however, that the limits of the zone of moderate rainfall. are constantly pro- ceeding westward as civilization advances. Twenty five years ago the frontier of agricultural production was placed at about the ninety-sixth degree of west longitude. Teni years later it had ad- vanced to the ninety-seventh, five years later to the ninety-eighth, .while to-day it miay be said to extend to the one hundredth. Along with this ad ,vance the character of the flora of the country has appreciably changed. The " blue stem " grass and other plants' which require moisture, have displaced the buffalo or " gramma grass," which is the natural covering of the great plains. Whether the procession westward of the rainfall will continue as heretofore, once it has reached the meridian of i000, may fairly be open to question. The prevailing winds from May to September are from the south and south-west. But inasmuch as the western limit of the Gulf of Mexico is in the ninty-eighth meridian, it follows that these win(s must blow over the arid and thirsty soil of Mexico, and will contain therefore but little moisture. Hence this west-

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.103 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:52:26 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

I882.] Geogra.phy and Tr-avels. I039

ern part of Kansas must long continue to be an essentially dry country. Cultivation may no doubt modify the climate, but the process will be slower and more difficult than in Central Kansas.

POGGE AND WISSMANN.-Letters bave been received from Dr. P6ggfe, dated November 27, iSSi, written at Mukengfe, the resi- dence of the chief of the Tusselanga in about 6? S. lat. and 22' 221 10" E. long. (Greenwich). The travelers had, in turning the territories of the Muata Yanvo, been obliged to take a north- easterly direction and after forty-four clays' march from Kinibunda crossed the Kassai on the 21St of October. The Kassai at this point had a wiG'th of about 350 yards. Here \'Vissmann sepa- rated fiom his companions and started in a sotitlherly direction, whilst Dr. P6gge took a. northerly course tovards the territory of the Ttusselanga, reaching on the 3oth of October, the residence of the chief Kalamba Miukenge. This place, with its well built 1hLItS and population of about IOOO Souls, lies betwecil the souLrces to two rivulets flowing towards the Luflua, and having excellent drinkingy water, and would form a capital site for a station if the LIulua should prove available for water communM M ication with. the yet unkn-own regions beyond. But it appears that this river, not- withstanding its breadth of more than 300 yards, is very shallow and full of rapids. P6ogge describes the coLun1try as fertile; every where mladioca, maize, millet, and beans are c ultivated, and the four kinds of oil palms, which grow chiefly in the forests, are seen pl anted in the cultivated fields. Of game animals occur only the wart-hoog and a small species of Cape buffalo, but the rivers are full of hippopotami and the woods of various species offclidwce. The grey parrot is also found here. The climate is wari'mer than in the Muata Yanvo's country, but everywhere salubLrious and the natives are friendly and peaceable. The chief articles of trade are slaves, especially female, and india-rubber; ivory being little dealt in. The chief market for ivory lies some eight days' jour- ney to the N. N. NV. of Mukenge at a place called Kabao, in the Tukette country.

With regard to his further movements, Dr. P6ygge hoped to leave Mukene-e on the 29th of November and to cross the LLlua and meet Lieut. WVissman in PacuLa-Carimba. Both would then, under the protection and guidance of the chief Kalamba-Mukenge, travel eastward as far as the Lake Muk-anga, distant ten days march, and then onward six days march to the Mobondi-Stani, further two claysS march to the Lubilash river, and two days beyond that, to the great Mobondi chief Fumo-Kole. As far as that point only was tile traveler able to obtain infobrm-ation regarding the route. Should no insuperable obstacle be encountered, the travellers would travel along the tracle road leading to Nyangwve on the Lubilash (the upper course of the Congo,) reaching Which place P6ogge would return to Mukenge whilst WVissmann would strike

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.103 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:52:26 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

1040 Gcn1cral Notes. [December,

for Zanzibar. P6ggye calculates that his journey to the Lubilash and back to Muk-enge will take six months.

AFRICAN ExPi eownvrioN.-TheI' Royal Geographical Society has decided to send a nel\v exploring expedition to Africa uLnder the command of MA Ir. Jos-eph i Thomson. After organizing his corm- pany at Za:inzibar, MIr. Thomison w7"ill IIroceed from Mombas otl the E-ast Africall coast to Mount Kilimandjaro, and after ascend- ingC this cele')rated peak, lhe hopes to advance through an entirely uLnknIownl regiOIn to th- shores of the Victoria Nyanza, retUrlningT to the, coast by a more northerlv route so as to visit, if practica- ble, Lake Baringo and Mount Kenia.

Lieutenant Giraudl, a you ng French naval officer, has sailed from Marseilles for Zanzibar. He intends to go either to Lake Tan- gnlyika, or more probably by the north shore of Lake Nyassa, to the Clanibeze River. He will follow this streamn to its outlet in Lake BIangwNeolo, which he: proposes to circumnavigfate. He then hopes to descend the Lualaba-Congo to the sea.

The French Government has decided against the scheme of M. RoLudaire of flooding a portion of the Sahara, considering that the cost will exceed the advantacges to be gained.

Professor Guido Cora in an address before the Italian Geo- graphical Society, describes the Desert of Sahara as an immi-ense tract of country, with a mean elevation of from 1300 to 1650 feet above the level of the sea, in which sand does not occupy more than one-fifth of the entire area, and where large chains of moun- tains are fouLd attainingT a height of from 6550 feet to 82oc) feet. In .some prts it only rains once iin some twenty years, wNile in others there is a legu lar rainyv season ; the temperature there rises to 1220 F. and falls to 190 4' F., and the loftiest mountain to-)s are cove-redI with snow and ice for several months in the year. Thle fauta and flora have a special importance. Lastly, the Sahara has a population of some 3,000000,and contains towns of from 5000 to 1o,ooo inhabitants. It has a total area of 3,700,000 square miles, stretching on the north to the Great Atlas and the Mediterranean, between the two Syrtes to the south of Cyrenaica and Lower Egrypt; on the east it is conteri'ninous with the Valley of the Nile; onl the souLth it is bounded by a line run ning from El Obeid to. Lake Clhad, to the middle course of the Nigrer, and the lower part of thle Senegal ; and lastly, on the wvest it reaches the Atlantic Ocean.

:o:- MICROSCOPY.,

TAkYLOR'S FREEZING M [CROTOME.-All who are familiar with the exquisite sections of soft tissues, sometimes cut by the various freezing microtorllies, arnd at the same time have had experience of the trotLbles, uncertainties and delays (if not dangers) of pack-

IThis department is edited by Dr. R. H. WARD, Troy, N. Y.

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.103 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:52:26 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions