NATURAL SCIENCE 



A Monthly Review of Scientific Progress 



No. 70— Vol. XI— DECEMBER 1897 



NOTES AND COMMENTS 



The Fauna of the Deep Sea 



One of the most important publications of the past month is Dr 

 Gunther's Presidential Address to the Linnean Society of London, 

 just issued in this Society's Proceedings. It is a critical review of 

 our present knowledge of the depths of the sea, by one who has 

 made a life-long study of the subject, and added no small contribu- 

 tions to the solution of the problems in question from the biologist's 

 point of view. Dr Glinther treats the subject under geographical 

 headings, being of opinion that this arrangement brings out some 

 points of interest more prominently than a general historical state- 

 ment would do. He is careful, however, to emphasise the fact that 

 he still believes the deep-sea fauna to be one indivisible whole ; 

 such types as seem to be characteristic of some particular region of 

 the ocean being "accidentally or ignorantly imported into the deep- 

 sea fauna," or else forms of which the wide range has not yet been 

 ascertained. 



Among the many interesting points discussed, there are two 

 expressions of opinion of great importance from one who has so 

 many qualifications to speak authoritatively. The first relates to 

 the question of the permanence of the abyssal ocean depths ; the 

 other refers to the presence or absence of life in the middle-depths 

 of the oceanic waters. 



Dr Giinther is emphatically in favour of the idea that the 

 abysses of the ocean are not permanent, but may well have changed 

 many times in the past. He declares that the opposite view 

 "cannot be accepted by the student of the terrestrial fauna." He 

 remarks : " I cannot help thinking that our knowledge of the 

 nature of the rocks at the bottom of the sea is, at present, to use a 

 mild expression, most imperfect. Is it not possible that continental 

 rocks at the abyssal sea-bottom are so hidden under the deposit 

 which has been in progress of formation for untold ages, as to pre- 

 vent us from penetrating to them ? Possibly the day may come 

 when borings or some similar operation will be successfully carried 



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