PREFACE. 



The contents of this book were mainly written on board H.M.S. 

 " Challenger," and sent home from the various ports touched at, 

 in the form of a journal. Much of the book has been printed 

 directly from the sheets of foreign note paper on winch the 

 journal was transmitted. Since, however, very much of it was 

 intended for family reading, a good deal of matter descriptive of 

 various well-known animals and phenomena has been struck 

 out, as well as the accounts of the long voyages and various 



dredgings. 



A considerable amount of the less technical matter, even 

 thouo-h treating of matters often before described, contained in 

 the original letters, has, however, been retained in the hopes 

 that it may interest general readers. The whole has been 

 revised and corrected, and the scientific names of birds and 

 animals have been corrected, as far as possible, by means of 

 the notices of the " Challenger " collections published by various 

 specialists since the arrival of the ship in England. 



I venture here to make an appeal to specialists engaged in 

 working at " Challenger " material to spare me copies of their 

 papers, and to assure them that, as I hope this book will show, 

 I take an interest in the collections of all kinds made during 

 the " Challenger's " voyage, that I took a large share myself in 

 the bringing together of the collections, and that such papers 



