proper site, a suitable locality was obtained in the southwestern corner of Avondale, of 66 acres, for which a reasonable annual rental is to be paid. About $120,600 have been raised in the form of capital stock, and this, with the regular receipts, will be quite sufficient for carrying on the establishment and furnishing handsome interest on the investment. The gardens of the Society, containing fifty-six acres, were opened to the public on September 18th.

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF TEXAS.

Dr. S. B. Buckley has published his first annual report of the Geological and Agricultural Survey of Texas, in which he gives an account of the labors of his predecessors and of his own operations during the year. In addition to a general sketch of the economical geology of the country, we have tables of precipitation and temperature, an indication of the principal soils and animal and vegetable products, etc., with a reproduction of a defense made some years ago by the author against criticisms by Professor Gray in regard to certain species of Texas plants described by him as

new.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES FOR 1873. One of the most important of the many valuable government documents is the Annual Report of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories for 1873, as prepared by Dr. Hayden, being a volume of 730 pages, profusely illustrated with plates and sections, and exhibiting the physical geography, the sectional geology, the mining, and the natural history of the country.

The volume consists of several sections. The first-that of geology, mineralogy, and mining industry-was prepared by Dr. Hayden, Mr. Marvine, Mr. Peale, and Dr. Endlich. The second embraces special reports on paleontology, on the fossil flora by Professor Lesquereux, and on the vertebrates by Mr. Cope. Part third-zoology-contains articles on the recent invertebrates, by Lieutenant Carpenter, Dr. Packard, Baron Ostensacken, Mr. Ulke, Dr. Hagen, Mr. S. J. Smith, Professor Verrill, and Mr. William G. Binney. Part fourth

upon the geography and topography-is from the pen of Mr. James T. Gardner, geographer of the expedition. There is also an appendix, by Mr. A. R. Marvine.

The book is, of course, indispensable to all persons interested in the physical geography and natural history of the West.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR A BOTANICAL GARDEN IN CHICAGO.

A commendable enterprise has been initiated in Chicago, by the South Park Commissioners, in the setting apart of sixty acres for the establishment of botanical gardens, this space to be increased from time to time as occasion may require. The general management of affairs is in charge of the board, of which Mr. N. H. Hibbard is president and H. H. Babcock secretary.

It is proposed to have a botanic garden proper, provided with suitable houses for the reception of plants requiring protection, an arboretum, a garden for general floriculture, a botanical museum, an herbarium, and a botanic library. A circular has been issued by the board of managers, soliciting contributions to the several departments of the garden, especially of seeds, cuttings, living plants, and her barium specimens. This solicitation is made with the expectation of being able to make proper return for such contributions at an early day. The general direction of the establishment has been placed in charge of Mr. H. H. Babcock.

THE CHESS PROBLEM OF THE EIGHT QUEENS.

The chess problem proposed by Nauck to the distinguished mathematician Gauss, viz., to determine the number of ways in which eight queens can be placed on a chess-board so that no one can take or be taken by any other, has been completely solved by Gunther, whose solution has been somewhat improved by Mr. J. H. L. Glaisher. According to these gentlemen, for a chess-board of sixteen squares and four queens there are two solutions of the problem, in a board of twenty-five squares, ten solutions, and in a board of sixty-four squares, with eight queens, ninety-two solutions. Of these ninety-two solutions, one is perfectly symmetrical, and is given by Mr. Glaisher in full.-7 4, XLVIII., 456.

REPORT ON THE POPULATION OF THE EARTH.

The number of Petermann's Mittheilungen for March, 1875, contains the usual annual report upon the population of the earth, made by Messrs. Behm and Wagner. The footing for the year 1874 is as follows:

In a recent number of the proceedings of the German Society at Yokohama, an interesting account is given by Holtz of the Japanese game of chess. The chess-board is, he says, divided into eighty-one squares of the same light yellow color, which are distinguished among themselves by drawing black lines over the yellow board. The squares are not true squares, but somewhat longer than broad, in order to correspond to the figures of the chess-men themselves. The figures are, like the board, of the same color, but of a more decided yellow, perfectly distinguishable from that of the board itself. In the English game we have thirty-two pieces and sixty-four squares. In the Japanese we have forty pieces and eighty-one squares. The separate figures are of different sizes, in proportion to their value, but have all the same shape, i. e., very nearly that of a truncated pyramid. The queen is the greatest, the peasants the smallest; but the dif ference in size between the separate figures would scarcely suffice to prevent mistakes, if it were not that the name and value of each figure are written in Chinese letters upon their upper sides. Except the queen and certain other figures, they all have also a second sign on their bases, which bases are turned uppermost during the first part of the game, and only turned down when the piece itself has reached the enemy's side of the board. The pieces are so placed upon their squares that the narrower sides are turned toward the opponent, so that one at a glance easily recognizes

each of the figures belonging to the other party. In this way the Japanese, by the position of their figures, attain the same end that the Europeans accomplish by differences of color. Concerning the movements of the pieces, which Holtz describes in detail, we will only state that the king's moves are very similar to those in the European game. There is no piece whose movements correspond to those of the queen in the English game. - Mitth. Deutsch. Gesell., Yokohama, July, 1874, 13.

REPORT OF THE ICELANDIC COMMISSION TO ALASKA.

During the summer of 1874 a committee of the Icelanders resident in Wisconsin visited Alaska for the purpose of ascertaining whether that country would be suitable for an emigration of Icelanders from their native island. The Secretary of the Navy furnished them transportation on board the Portsmouth, and secured to them ample opportunity of making the examination in question. Their report has just been printed by the government, from which we learn that the investigation was highly satisfactory to the committee, and tended to dispel many of the prevalent ideas as to the character and value of the region.

On Cook's Inlet the committee found large varieties of fine timber and an unexpected amount of summer weather, the winter beginning as late as the middle of November and ending the middle of March. They were informed by a resident that cabbages, potatoes, and other garden vegetables grew readily, and that nothing else, to his knowledge, had ever been tried. He stated, however, that there was a settlement near by where rye was raised. They were very decided in their impression of the advantages which the isl and of Kodiak would furnish to the people of their country, there being an abundance of timber east of the 151st meridian; west of that it was open plain, with plenty of excellent pasturage. Potatoes they found to do well, as also cabbages, turnips, and other vegetables. They considered that any thing which grows in Scotland would succeed in Kodiak. Pasture land they found admirable all along the coast, and considered it probable that it was equally good in the many valleys which lead from the bays to the inte

rior. Fish were very abundant, salmon being in the greatest profusion, while codfish and halibut were also very plenty, and were caught without boats, fishing from the wharf or rocks. They corroborate very emphatically the general accuracy of Mr. Dall's report of the country as contained in "Alaska and its Resources," and consider him correct in all essential matters. The land in every respect has advantages over Iceland, the climate being milder in winter without being warmer in summer, and the summer lasting longer than it does in Iceland. "They therefore do not hesitate to recommend those of their countrymen who are minded to emigrate to do so, and they make this recommendation after conscientious deliberation, and in the firm belief that it would be for their advantage, the land appearing in every respect adapted to their needs, and answering completely all their expectations."

BEQUEST TO THE CINCINNATI SOCIETY OF NATURAL HIS

TORY.

The Cincinnati Society of Natural History has lately received a bequest of $50,000 from Mr. Charles Bodman, of that city. The gift is absolute and without conditions. Mr. Bodman was a member of that society, and has thus endeavored to place it on a permanent basis, and enable it to become one of the prominent institutions of Cincinnati.

SCIENTIFIC BALLOONISTS.

The investigation of the atmosphere by means of observations in balloons has, during the past few years, been prosecuted with marked activity by the French aeronauts, who have organized the French Society for Aerial Navigation. This society, having clearly seen that ascensions, to be of value, must either aim at attaining great heights or at remaining a long time in the atmosphere at moderate heights, undertook during the present year one voyage of each description, the first of which was that of the 23d of March, the object being to secure a long duration. The ascent was made from the gas-works at Villette, near Paris, at 6.20 in the evening; the descent was made on the following day at 5 o'clock, the entire voyage having lasted twenty-two hours and forty minutes. Among the apparatus taken with them,

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