The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-24
NOTES SCIENTIFIC.

A number of Frencamen. in laudable
spirit of devotion to science have signed a
published letter pledging them to will their
brain, or any other part of the body, to the
laboratory of the AnthropolOgical society, as
subjects for experiment and observation.
NJ. Jules Trebeau has been dispatched by
the French geographical society upon tour
of exploration into French Guinea, coun-
try which is almost unknown NJ Trebeau
will proceed up the Riyer Maroni to it's
source, and return by the Oyapok or the
Amazons, according to convenience.
A paper read before the London Linnean
Society, December Z on the IridGce0 (the
Iris Family states that altogether about 200
species and 90 genera are now recognized.
OF these, 3l2 species are found at the Cape
in South Africa, 81 in Europe and North
Africa, 50 in Temperate Asia, 50 in Tropical
America. 30 in Tropical Africa, "a in South
America, 81 in Australia, and one in Poly-
nesia. The erocus, iris, and gladiolus are
among the most common species cultivated
In our gardens.
An interesting experiment has been made
by Mr. X. y. Fairbanks. of Geneva Wis, in
stocking Geneva lake with food fishes. The
past year he hatched out and introduced, at
his own expense, 250, 900 salmon trout, 125-
600 white fish, 10000 land locked salmon,
$4,000 California salmon, 80 600 brook front
and 100000 wall ewed pike, or nearly a
million and half in all The question as
to a suffciency of animal food for these fish
is met in Mr.. Fairbanks's opinion, by the
occurrence Of a sort of white fish. known as
cisco, in immense abundance, which can
only be captured during few days in the
year. but which abound throughout the
year in the deep waters accessible to the fish
large enough to devour them.
In communication to the London geo.
graphical society, DIR. Petermann, the Ger
man geographer, commends in the highest
terms the efficient service rendered to sci
ence by the English Arctic expedition. He
considers the fallacy of the continuous navi-
cation of the Smith sound route completely
established by Captain Mares and advocates
the Nova Zembla and East Greenland routes
to the pole. He believes there is great
open sea all along Northern Siberia; and
states that Professor Nordenskjold intends in
1878 10 sail right across from Norway TO Beh-
ring Strait. He likewise asserts that Swed-
ish and Dutch expedition have been decid-
ed on, but that Weyprecht's plan for estab-
fishing stations in the Arctic regions for con-
tinued observation is as yet hopeless of exc
cution.
A mushroom exhibition was to be opened
on the 23d of November At the rooms of the
French botanical society in Pans, ut which
1T was proposed to bring together all vari-
cites of mushrooms, in either dry or fresh
state, eatable, poisonous or hurtful to agri-
culture, as well as books drawings and en-
cravings bearing on the subject The fol-
lowing topics were proposed for discussion
by the society: % On the development of
the reproductive organs of mushrooms:
What is the exact Specification of the terms
spores chlamydospores. aylospores, conidia,
spernlatia, etc? CD Fungoid protoplasm
compared with that of the vegetable
chlorophylls. 81 On the classification of
the ogariici, and generally the relative value
of Characteristics among mushrooms. t4)
Study OF the substrata necessary to the de-
yelopment of the various fungOid species
and of the relation which exists between the
substrata and these species, and questions
relative to parasitism. (5) On edible mush-
rooms in various regions. (6) The necessity
of encouraging chemical investigation on
mushrooms, with recital of the facts ascer-
tained in this department to the present
time t7) The best processes for preserving
mushrooms for study. (S) Bibliographical
researches on the mycologsts of the last CEN
.siry.