That a large number of books and manuscripts still remain buried in the snow on King William's Land and also records more carefully deposited may exist is at least highly probable, and it is very much to be hoped that the expedition now out under Lieut. Schwatka1 has been able, as he hoped, to explore this island during the past summer. The monument and cache near Cape Crozier, however interesting and remarkable, are certainly of much less importance, and we are glad to learn that the time. will not be lost in visiting them as first proposed. Although the accounts of the presence of white men in the north-western portion of the Melville peninsula are not to be overlooked, corroborated as they are by the existence of this monument and tenting place, it seems hardily possible that any members of the lost expedition should have gone in this direction; so far out of the way of help and necessitating the crossing of the Boothia gulf— more especially when the existence of the supplies at Fury beach must have been known by them.

Although geographical inquiry was not the first object of Hall's journey, he made many interesting discoveries which are clearly shown on his maps, several of which accompanying the text are of much interest and value. There are also eight sketches of coast lines drawn by the Innuits. The preliminary chapter is illustrated by circumpolar and other maps showing the progress of discovery since 1818, Franklin's track, etc. A large circumpolar pocket map with explorers names and very satisfactorily mounted in sections is also given. It is brought down to the present time, showing the results of Nordenskiöld's discoveries and corrections of the Asiatic coast. The wood engravings are numerous and many of great interest. The appendix contains Hall's Astronomical and Meteorological observations, his conversations with the Innuits, and also a valuable paper by B. K. Emerson, Professor of Geology, at Amherst College, on the Geology of Frobisher bay and Field bay, as illustrated by the collections made by Capt. Hall in 1860-2 and now in the College Museum. Prof. Emerson states that "the common crystalline rocks of the Arctic regions, granitic and gneissose, made up the bulk of the collection." "With these were traps, red massive quartzites, sandstones, gray 1See NATURALIST, August, 1878, p. 571, and November, 1879, p. 723.

2A copy of the circumpolar map showing the progress of discovery is given herewith, for which and also for the accompanying illustrations we are indebted to the kindness of Prof. J. E. Nourse.

and cream-colored dolomites and limestones, and a few pieces of black cherty and dark fissile limestones, which furnished so many fossils new in these regions, and coming from a horizon which had not before been known to be represented so far north-that of the Utica slate." *** "The geological collections made by

him [Hall] give us the only information concerning the occurrence of the Lower Silurian in the whole of Arctic America, north of Rupert's Land, with the single exception of the fossils collected by Capt. McClintock and described by Houghton." These latter were brought from North Devon, Bellots straits and

King William's Land and a comparison with the fossils from Frobisher's bay, shows that that locality bears "somewhat the same relation to those of King William's Land and North Devon, which the typical localities of the Utica slate and the Hudson River group in New York bear to the more western areas of the Mississippi Basin.” "In Frobisher bay we have a group of fossils unmixed with those of earlier or later date, which mark the exact horizon of the Utica slate, and the rocks have a lithological facies recalling that of the typical localities of this epoch in New York." "In the north-western area the whole Paleozoic series seem to be represented by a nearly unbroken succession of limestones, and the subdivisions merge into each other as in the central basin of the United States." "So that Houghton says, 'the whole of North Somerset, Boothia Felix, King William's Land and Prince of Wales Land is thus proved to be of Silurian age, although the evidence as to whether it is Upper or Lower Silurian is contradictory, as characteristic fossils of both epochs are found throughout the whole area.'" And the fossils from the Bay of Frobisher show that this great Arctic limestone area extends greatly to the south-east, and make it comparable in size with the central basin of the United States.

An interesting "note" by Hall on the finding of stones, rocks, and sands on the floe ice is given. He believes that these are caught up by the ice from the bottom of shallow waters and not deposited upon its surface.

"As the spring-tides come on, during their ebb, in many shallow parts of Hudson's bay, sheets of ice rest upon rocks, stones, shells, and weeds. These sheets of ice as they lie, send down showers upon the already moist bottom, all of which conglaciate at once into a solid mass by the piercing, pinching cold of the north. Rocks and stones, shells and weed, sheets of ice, and what was trickling water become one solid body. The tide now floods and lifts the floe, having on its nether surface a ponderous load of earthy matter. Before another ebb, King Cold has succeeded in adding several inches of ice underneath the structure of rocks, stones, land, shells, and weeds, which are now completely enveloped in crystal. Ebb and flood succeed each other, and as often add a stone or other foreign matter, and then another stratum of ice to the floe or smaller pieces of ice that during certain intervals are afloat or aground."

A paper on " Whale and Seal Oil in the manufacture of Jute," concludes a work which is a very valuable addition to the numerous narratives of Arctic discovery. Ellis Hornor Yarnall.