A SHORT HISTORY OF THE INVESTIGATIONS 11 



gations of the deep-sea fauna off the coast of Florida. 

 The first expedition started in 1867 from Key West 

 for the purpose of taking some dredgings between 

 that port and Havana. Unfortunately yellow fever 

 broke out on board soon after they started, and only 

 a few dredgings were taken. However, the results 

 obtained were of such importance that they encouraged 

 Pourtales to undertake another expedition and enabled 

 him to say very positively ' that animal life exists at 

 great depths, in as great a diversity and as great an 

 abundance as in shallow water.' 



In the following years, 1868 and 1869, the expe- 

 ditions were more successful, and many important 

 new forms were found in water down to 500 fathoms. 

 Perhaps the most interesting result obtained was the 

 discovery of Boiirguetticrinus of D'Orbigny ; it may 

 even be the species named by him which occurs fossil 

 in a recent formation in Guadeloupe. 



By this time the interest of scientific men was 

 thoroughly excited over the many problems connected 

 with this new field of work. The prospect of obtain- 

 ing a large number of new and extremely curious 

 animals, the faint hope that living Trilobites, Cystids, 

 and other extinct forms might be discovered, and 

 lastly the desire to handle and investigate great 



