458 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [DeC, 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Deep Sea Explorations. — In the Eeport before us ^- are 

 given the preliminary proceedings and equipment, the narrative 

 of the three cruises performed during 1869, the general results so 

 far as they relate to Physics and Chemistry, and, in an appendix, 

 a summary of the observations upon, and analysis of, samples of 

 sea water and deep sea bottom collected during the cruise, 

 l^assing over the first portion for the sake of brevity, (though 

 there is much, especially in the description of the equipment, to 

 interest all naturalists), we learn that the Porcupine, with Mr. 

 Jeffrey's and Mr. W. B. Carpenter on board, left Woolwich, May 

 18th, and after coaling at Galway, on the west coast of Ireland, 

 cauised, dredging at intervals, to the southward and westward. 

 The greatest depth reached was 808 fathoms and an essentially 

 northern fauna was discovered throughout. Among the collections, 

 were Nucula pumila, Verticordia ahi/ssicola, '^ Fusiis " n.sp. like 

 " i^." Sabinii, Phahellia ventilahrani, Gonoplax rhomhoides^ 

 Eballa n.sp., EtJiusa n.sp, Geryon tridens and many small 

 crustaceans. The next dredgiugs were taken in a line eleven 

 degrees of longitude due west from Galway, and reached a depth 

 of 1239 fathoms. All the mollusca except Aporrhais Serresianus 

 were northern (the temperature of the bottom being 37'^ 8 Fahr.) ; 

 several new species and two new genera of the family Arcidce 

 were found, as well as TrocJms minutusimus Mighels (which has 

 two conspicuous eyes), a species of AmpcUsca, an eyed crustacean, 

 and numerous gigantic foraminifera. A third trip, from Killebegs 

 to the Rockall Bank was then made, and dredgings as deep as 

 1746 fathoms succeeded in obtaining an abundance of life. 

 Among the species were an imperforate brachiopod with a septum 

 in the lower valve, which Mr. Jeffreys calls Atretia gnomon, 

 KelUeUa ahi/ssicola Sars, Gumecea n.sp., several small new 

 crustaceans ; Pourtalesia, probably P. miranda, A. Ag. and many 

 fine foraminifera, including an OrlifoJites of the size of a sixpence. 

 The vessel reached Belfast at the end of her cruise on the 13th of 

 July, 1869. The second cruise, under Prof. Wyville Thompson 



* Preliminary Eeport of the Scientific exploration of tlie Deep Sea in 

 H. M. Surveying Yessel Porcupine, during the summer of 1869. 

 Conducted by Dr. 'W. B. Carpenter, Y.P.R.S., J. Gwyn Jeffre3-s, F.R.S., 

 and Prof. Wyville Thompson, L.L.D,, F.R.S., (Proc. R. Soc. No. 121). 



