' Mat is. isse.]
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��En&ra is level, and form; u depression becireen the plateau of Finmarlc aod the highlands of Russian Lapland. TbU, in apolitical point of view, is impor- tant; Biuce it permits of comparatively easy com- munication between Finland and the coast of ihe Northern Ocean. There are excellent ports on this shore never obstructed by ice, but hitherto useless for want of communications with the interior. In the near future, the railway, which has already reached Uleaborg, will be cnmplelefl to the northern const, and Russia will be able to utilize a. part of her possessions, at present little better than a wilderness.
— Tan liroam Morris, Dutch resident at Ternate, has recently made some interesting discoveries on the northern coast of New Guinea, which he vl^ilted offi- cially for the purpose of familiarizing the natives with the Dutch flag, and arranging a peace between several contending tribes. After determining the longitude of Mapia, It was found that Stephen Island of the charts has no existence. The oast near Waickenaer Bay was visiled; and several rivers of considerable size, as well as a large lagoon, were found, which were before unknown. The population, call- ing themselves Bongos, were numerous and friendly, living in houses built on piles in the water. Cocoa- nuts were so abundant that two hundred and Sfty could be purchased for twelve cents; and large quan- tities of kopra are made. Snli^equentif the Arober- no lliver was visited, and ascended sixty miles or more with a depth of six faLhoms. with a fathom leas in the channel over the bar. In latitude 2'^ 20' south, the river emerges from the mountains; and here were shoals beyond which the party did not go. The cur- rent was extremely rapid. The male inhabitants of its banks were timid but friendly; the women always took refuge in the forest. They call the stream 'Mamberan' (or great river). It lias never been ascended by civilized man; and it is claimed that the results of Van Braam UorriH's explorations are more important to geography than any work done in this region during the century, and only second in New Guinea lo the work of Alhorlis.
— Messrs. Charles Scribner's sons published. May I, the book of Stepniak, the nihilist writer, author of ' Underground Russia,' entitled ' Russia under the tzars.' The timeliness of its publication is a matter of accident, as the author and Iranslatur have been for some time sn peri nteniling Its passage through the press In London; but it is pariicularly welcome at a moment when universal attention is fixed upon its subject.
— Within a week of the publication of Messrs. Scribner's authorized edition ot ' The Kusslans at the gates of Herat,' they were obliged to print nine thou- sand copies to supply the demand, and anotlier edition of three thousand has just been put on the press.
Beporti from Japan state, says Nature, that
grave fears were entertained of an outbreak of the long quiescent volcano Fujiyama, and that officials had been sent to Investigate the matter. Tl>e people living in the neighborhood believed an eruptii imminent, because, while the snow o
��a tha- mountain
��had begun to melt two monllis before the usual lime, all the wells at the fort became dry, and difficulty was experienced in procuring water. The phenome- non is considered the more remarkable from the fact that the winter has been nnusuatly cold, and that the surface ot the snow remains hard, the part nearest the ground bc>ing the Qrat to give way.
— The council of the New-England meteorological society has deemed it advisable to select a new sub- ject for special study during the summer season of 1885, and has chosen thunder-storms as offering at once the greatest number of features easily observed, and promising in return the most interesting results. The desired observations will be divided into several classes, in order to bring the work within the reach of all who are willing to take a share in it Observa- tions are to be taken through the siunmer whenever a thunder-storm can be seen or heard. Besides these, epeclal observations of wind, temperature, etc., are desired on the Saturdays of June (June 8, 13, 20, 27), at intervals from noon to nine o'clock p.m., whether a thunder-storm is in progress or not. Saturdays are chosen with spocial reference to securing assistance from the scholars in our many schools. Instructions, and blanks for records, will be sent on application to W. U. Davis, Cambridge, Mass.
— Vol. i. of the TransactloTis of the scientific as- sociation of Meriden, Conn., which has jnsi been printed by the associalion. appears as a tribute to the memory of a deceased member. Him Emily J. Leonard, whose catalogue of MerUlcn plants, left In- complete at her death, occupies the principal part of the pamphlet. Although the plant names have in a few cases served as stumbling-blocks In the way of the editors, the list, which includes T4t> pheuogaras and pteridophytos, is very creditably presented.
— Nature reports that the National flsh-culture as- sociation of England has transferred another large consignment of white-Bsh fry lo the lakes in the Isle of Mull in order to further their acclimatization to the waters ot this country. Hitherto many experi- ments have been tried in this direction, but with no success. The American government is rendering valuable assistance in effecting their propagation, and are watching the result of the endeavors now making with keen interest.
— The French government bos granted the use of the Palace of Industry, in the Champs Elys^es, tor the purpose of holding the Great industrial exhibi- tion {lirpoaUion du Craiail), which will remain o|)cn from the 23d of July until the 23d of November, 1885.
— The collections and library of the New-Orleans academy of sciences have been removed to rooms fur- nished by the Tulane university. It la hoped that some additional vigor may be imparted to the acad- emy by the presence of the scientific men visiting the exhibition. E. T. Menick, ex-chief- justice of Loui- siana, Is president.
— Systematic observations of auroras have been made at the Engineer sUtion, Wiiiel's Point, NT., under the direction of Gen. n. L. Abbot since 1870.
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