Tax island of Socotra has been receiving good deal of attention lat-ly. Two acientific expeditions visitad it at the commence-tot the year, and the results of their researches are briefly recorded in the cur-ut number of the Geographical Journal. One expedition was dispatched ut the i ance of the Imperial Academy of Sciences of Vienna. Its members originally propos to penetrate into the interior of Arabia, hut aftermarda decided to confine their attentions to Sosotra. They sent. an Englishman, Mr. Bury, into Arabin dingaised Arab, and he was able to collect: n quantity of interesting inscriptions, The rest of the party conducted a thorough invertix: tion into the zoology, botany, and geology of Socotra, with useful results, Dr. Maller made some important enquiries into the Socutran language, hitherto almost unknown in Europe, and establish. ed ite great antiquity. Tt forms, with Mahran, ''the most southerly outpost of the Somitic group of languages." the other expedition was dispatched by various British scientific sociation, and was specially charged with the zoological investigation of the island. Its membora, De. H. 0. Forbes, of the Liverpool Musoums, and Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, of the British Museum, had rather bad lack at the outset. A fortnight after they landed on the island, they contracted favor ''of a malignant' and very intractable type" while camping in 'a valley beneath the peak of Aduns. After they moved their camp to higher altitudes the yot rid of the fever, but, the time ed while they were prostrate prevented them from examining the western portion of the island. The" principal zwnlogical product of Sucotea appears to he the wild aaa, an animal somewhat resembling the r. Some naturalists believe that it is only the common ass escaped from cap tivity. Socotra, we gather, can also bons' of an uncommonly vigorous breed of mos: quitees. The natives of she island xecm to have regarded both the scientific expeditions with a goat deal of suspicion. Apparently they sould not make up. their minds whether their mysterious. visitors mere spies or lunatics. The English and Austrian expeditions fore gathered at one camp, and proffered mutual hospitalities, It would seem that the Englishmen, xt any rate, thoroughly enjoyed their visit. Dr. Forbes waxes idyllic in praise of a camp in the mountains, "It is difficult," he says, "to express the supreme enjoyment. of our stay there." The tents were pitched in the midst of Euryops and Hypericums and Oystistemons and. Trichodesmas and Fxacums and Balsamodendvons. We never knew until now that the ragged coast of Socotra concealed an many attractions, After thin foretaste, the promised paper on the scientific results of the expedition will be awaited with impatience.—Times of India.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.