Professor Agassiz's Expedition

Professor Alexander Agassiz, who has been absent from the University during the past year, arrived last Thursday in New York from Southampton, England. Professor Agassiz, with Dr. W. McM. Woodworth, his son, and H. B. Bigelow as assistants, started last October on an expedition to study the coral structure of the Maldive Islands, off the south coast of Ceylon. When the party reached England, Mr. Chamberlain gave Professor Agassiz letters to the Governor of Ceylon, and the governor, Sir West Ridgeway, gave him letters to the Sultan of the Maldives. In this way every facility possible for their investigations was assured.

The steamer Amera, chartered from the British India Steam Navigation Company, carried the party for 1600 miles through the maze of coral islands of all sizes which compose the Maldive group. Professor Agassiz and his assistants spent over a month in studying the islands and in gathering their collections. Many new formations were discovered and some rare collections were made. The party took many deep sea soundings, studied the formation of atolls, and took a large number of valuable photographs. Professor Agassiz has shipped a valuable collection of coral formations to the University Museum. These specimens are expected to arrive soon.