I ;
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' I ! ; :
stations in th e second o f th e se localities o n ly, b e tw e e n A fric a an d
N ew Z e a la n d . A t H o b a r t Tow n , S y d n e y , a n d K in g G e o rg e S o u n d ,
th e r e a p p e a rs to h a v e b e en little o r no ch an g e iu th e d ip since
th e com m en cem en t o f th e p re s e n t c e n tu ry .
T h e a rra n g em e n t o f th e ch an g e s o f d ip in th e so u th e rn h em isp
h e r e in fo u r divisions, c h a ra c te ris e d b y a n a lte rn a te in c re a se a n d
d ecrea se o f d ip , is in co rre sp o n d en c e w ith th e double fle x u r e o f th e
lin e s o f d i p ; a n d is a con seq u en ce o f th e w e s te rn m otion o f th e
tw o so u th e rn m a g n e tic poles.
C a re fu l observations m a d e a t S t. P e te rs h u rg h , h a v e sh ew n th a t
th e a n n u a l c h an g e o f th e d ip in th e n o r th e rn h em isp h e re ta k e s
p la c e a lto g e th e r b e tw e e n th e m o n th s o f M ay a n d D e c em b e r; th e re
b e in g in fa c t a small m o v em e n t in a n o p p o site d ire c tio n b e tw e e n
D e c em b e r a n d M ay . T h is fa c t is o f g r e a t in te re s t in -its b e a r in g on
th e s tu d y o f th e causes o f th e m a g n e tic p h e n om e n a. W e h av e as
y e t n o c o rre sp o n d in g k n ow le d g e in r e g a rd to th e so u th e rn h em is p
h e re . T h e m a g n itu d e o f th e a n n u a l c h an g e w h ic h C a p ta in F i t z R
o y ’s o b serv atio n s show is n ow ta k in g p la c e a t th e C ap e o f Good
H o p e , is d e s e rv in g o f a tte n tio n in th is re sp ec t. A la rg e am o u n t o f
a n n u a l c h an g e is o b v iously h ig h ly fa v o u ra b le fo r a d e te rm in a tio n
o f a ll th e c ircum stan c e s b e lo n g in g to i t ; a n d its ex isten c e a t th e
Cape, w h e re th e re is a lre a d y a fixed o b s erv ato ry , p o in ts to th a t
sta tio n as m o s t e lig ib le fo r th is in v e stig atio n .
T h e o b serv atio n s a t Ascension shew th a t th e e p o ch is fa st
a p p ro a c h in g w h e n th e ne ed le will pass from n o r th to so u th d ip a t
th a t i s l a n d ; i t is ex trem e ly d e sirab le th a t th e p e rio d a t w h ic h th is
ch an g e ta k e s p la c e sh o u ld b e d e te rm in e d w ith as m u c h p recision
as possible.
I I I . In te n s ity .
I h a v e d iscu ssed in tb e S e v e n th R e p o r t o f th e B ritis h Association,
th e v e ry im p o r ta n t in fe ren c e s in r e g a rd to th e g e n e ra l d is trib u tio n
o f m ag n e tism in th e so u th e rn h em isp h e re , a fforded b y Cap tain s
K in g a n d F it z -R o y ’s m o s t v a lu a b le series o f in te n s ity ob serv a tio
n s ; b u t n o in fe ren c e s in r e g a rd to th e changes w h ic h th is p h e n
omenon m a y b e su p p o se d to u n d e rg o c an b e d raw n , as h a s b e e n
d o n e in th e cases o f th e v a ria tio n a n d d ip , b e ca u s e w e possess n o
observations o f th e in te n s ity m ad e a t a sufficiently e a rly p e rio d to
afford g o o d m a te ria ls fo r su ch a comparison.
EDW A R D SABINE.
■ "Tl
C a t a l o g u e o f t h e m o r e i n t e r e s t i n g S p e c i m e n s o f
N a t u r a l H i s t o r y t h a t w e r e c o l l e c t e d d u r i n g t h e
v o y a g e .
MAMMALIA.
I . M u s t e l a Z o r i l l a . D e sm ;*
T h e s k u n k . T h is an im a l wa s fo u n d a b u n d a n tly o n th e coast
o f P a ta g o n ia , b e tw e e n M o n te V ideo a n d C ap e G re g o ry , a t th e
e a s te rn e n tra n c e o f th e S tr a it o f M ag a lh a en s. I t a p p e a re d to b e
th e same species th ro u g h o u t th e wh o le e x te n t o f th e coast.— MuS'
Zool. Soc.
2 . M u s t e l a l u t r i s .— Lin.
L u tr a m a rin a , S te lle r. E r x le b . H a rla u ; E n h y d ra marina,
F lem in g .
T h e sea o tte r exists, b u t n o t v e ry p le n tifu lly , o n th e coast o f
T ie r ra d e l F u e g o ; w e saw v e ry few. T h e F u e g ia n In d ia n s h u n t
th em w ith d o g s w h ic h a re tra in e d fo r th e p u rp o s e .— M u seum
Zo o l. Soc.
3 . C a n i s .
T h e dogs b e lo n g in g to th e F u e g ia n In d ia n s a re c e r ta in ly o f th e
d om e stic a te d k in d , o rig in a lly o b ta in e d , p ro b a b ly , from th e Sp a n ish
s e ttlem e n ts a t Bu en o s A y r e s ; g e n e r a lly th e y re s em b le th e E s q u im
a u x b re e d , b u t a re m u c h m o re d im in u tiv e in size.
4 . C a n i s V u l p e s .
T w o i f n o t th r e e d is tin c t species o f th e fox w e re b ro u g h t h om e ;
one, o f a small size, w a s th o u g h t to b e a n o v e lty ; th e o th e r, p e rh a p s ,
wa s o n ly rem a rk a b le fo r its la rg e size. M r . V ig o rs th o u g h t th e
sm a ll one wa s q u ite n ew ; th e la s t is p e rh a p s C. cinereo argenteus.
— M u s e um o f Zool. Soc.
5 . F e l i s p u m a .
S e v e ra l w e re s e e n : a sk e le to n was fo u n d o n th e shores o f th e
S tr a it, su p p o se d to b e one o f th e above species.
* O r Mephitis Americana 2
VOL. I . 2 M
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