The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-16

since he published many Of the now recog-
nized theories and speculations on the subject
of natural selection, at o time when he was
resident in the East Indies, and entirely un-
acquainted with what Mr.. Darwin had written
on the same subject.
As respects geology, during the past year
the Government has continued its grants of
money for the purpose of deep-sea dredg
ings, and at present the report of the most
recent expedition is anxiously looked forward
to. The results of the expedition in the
autumn of 1869, as given 10 the public by
DIR. Carpenter, Professor Wyville Thomson,
and Mr.. Gwyn Jeffreys during the past year,
have been of the greatest possible interest
and importance. They found that on the
same level, at the bottom of the deep sea,
two different deposits are in process OF for
nation side by side, each characterized by
distinct fauna, and yet apparently pro-
duced under perfectly similar conditions of
land and sea, area, depth of water, etc. On in
vestigating this curious result, however, it
was found that the temperature of the water
circulating over these two areas is very diff
ferent, and that this mere difference of tenn
perature is capable of entirely changing the
character of the fauna of the simultaneously
formed deposits. Thus an entirely new ele-
ment is brought into geological speculations,
since it is shown that at one aud the same
time strata may be accumulated containing
ton to this, they have shown that the calca-
reous deposit known to us as chalk is now
being deposited all over the bed of the At
lantic Ocean, and there are many weighty
reasons for believing that this deposit
has gone on steadily ever since the time
during which we imagined the cretaceous
rocks of the world to have begun and ended.
Many organisms formerly supposed entirely
extinct have been rediscovered in these deep
sea dredgings; and, in short, mush has been
done to show that our past geological reason
ing requires thorough and careful revision.
Professor Gumbels discovery of the exist
ence of bathy bius and similar organisms at
all depths, and stretching over an
indefinite period of geological time,
is of the greatest importance in
relation to this subject Professor Agassiz,
on the other side of the Atlantic, has pub
lished reports of the deep-sea dredging off
the Florida coast, and has stated that the re-
suits of his researches, and those of others,
both English and Scandinavian, have con-
vinced him that there is life all over the sea-
bottom, and that where evidence of marine
life cannot be found, we are justified in call
ing in the agency of the sea to explain GER
tain obscure facts. These conclusions cannot
be without their important bearing on many
commonly-received geological theories.
| In botany many very careful series of OBJ
servatjons have been made in the physiologi-
cal department.. Among the most important
we may mention those of Prillieux and Du-
chartre in France, confirmed by DIR. McNab
in this country, that, contrary to the pre-
viously accepted hypothesis, plants do not
absorb any appreciable amount of aqueous
vspor through their leaves; and those pre-
viously announced by M. Deherain, that the
evaporation of water from the leaves of plants
is due, to sunlight rather than to heat, and
proceeds Independently of the degree of
saturation of the atmosphere. Much atten-
tion has also been paid in Germany, Italy,
and England to the phenomena of fertiliza-
ton opened out by Mr.. Darwin's observa-
tions
In meteorology there is no great advance
to chronicle. u still remains a science with
out head a chaotic mass of facts with no
definite order or arrangement; for, though
many are working at this subject, and some
valuable papers on the Origin of Winds and
Storms have been published still no definite
progress can be ascertained.
The splendid appearances of the Aurora
Borealis, visible all over the British Isles in
September and October, have directed public
attention to those Enthusiastically magnetic
| phenomena, and to the connection which
exists between their appearance, great mag
netical perturbations and large solar spots.
They have been examined very frequently
during the past year by means of the spec
| trObCOpe, ana tHef0 lS ulStlncC eVluoHc6 Oh
lines in the green and red portions of the
| spectrum, the latter presumably due to hy-
drogen. We would direct attention to our
desire to publish mplete tabular list of
| the more remarkable meteorological pheno-
menalof the past year, SO as to be serviceable
to observers in all parts of the world. To
render this as perfect as possible we would
invite the kind cooperation of all those in
terested in the subject who can forward us
any data.
| We cannot conclude without noticing how
much science has lost during the latter half
of the year just ended by the fearful struggle
that has taken place between France and
Germany, where each nation has brought into
requisition all the resources ofscience only to
infiict as much injury as possible on the other.
| For nearly six months we have witnessed the
sad sight of workshops shut up, laboratories
closed, universities and schools wanting both
professors and students, and the friendly
emulation of similar tastes and pursuits
turned to the fierce rivalry of the sword.
Science will have to deplore the untimely loss
of many of her most attached workers, and
their country will have lost those who would
in happier times have done her as much honor
at home as they have shown bravery in the
field While the French Academy, shut up
in besieged Paris, has brought the art of bal
looming to its present state of perfection, SO
that now it is used as means of communica-
tion with the outside world, the result
of the subtle strategy of the Germans.
and the scientific education they so generally
possess, has been to give them advantages
which have, to the present time, bafled their
adversaries.