1869.] MEETING OP THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 313 



tioD of dissolved organic matter ; thus in every way bearing out 

 the observations of Mr. W. L. Carpenter during the first cruise- 

 Thirdly, distribution of lif;. Life extends to the greg,test 

 depths, and is represented by all the marine invertebrate groups. 

 At 2,435 fathoms we got u handsome dentalium, one or two 

 crustaceans, several annelids and zephyrea, a very remarkable 

 new crinoid, with a stem 4 inches long, — I am not prepared to 

 say whether a mature form or a Peri ta crinoid, — several star-fishes, 

 two hydroid zoophytes, and many Foraminifera. Still the Fauna 

 has a dwarfed and Arctic look. This is, doubtless, from the cold. 

 At 800 to 900 fathoms, temperature 40'-' Fahr. and upwards, the 

 Fauna is rich, and is specially characterized by the great abun- 

 dance of vitreous sponges, which seem to be nearly related to, if 

 not identical with, the ventriculites of the chalk. This year's 

 work has produced many forms new to science and many new to 

 the British Fauna. Among the most remarkable in the groups I 

 have been working at I may mention a very singular Echinoderm 

 representing a totally new group of the sub-kingdom, — a splendid 

 new Ophiurid, — many specimens of Sars's Rhizocrinus Loflfotensis, 

 — many vitreous sponges, including specimens of Aphrocallistes, 

 Holtenia and Hyalonema, — a fine Solarium from the coast of 

 Kerry, and many other things. As I am only writing in the 

 interval of scaling the boiler, with no opportunity of going over 

 the collections, you mu«t accept this sketch. I trust to your 

 contributing the Crustacea, which will be sent to you as soon as 

 possible. I will write again from Lerwick. — Ever truly yours, 



Wyville Thomson." 

 Professor Huxley hoped that the meeting would not go away 

 with the idea that scientific men had coincided with the views of 

 the late Mr. Forbes as to the depth at which life could not exist 

 in the ocean. These views had never been accepted by scientific 

 men, and for the real conclusions of science they must not be con- 

 tent with consulting " text books," which the Professor styled 

 a sort of literary chiffonier. The results obtained by deep sea 

 dredging were of the greatest moment to science. They showed 

 that the cretaceous formation was continued till the present day. 

 T'le history of chalk extended back to millions of years beyond 

 the roeorded history of man. That was established in science, 

 and could not be upset. Suppose that in Central Africa we found 

 a colony of the ancient Egyptians still living, with their physique, 

 dress, and appearance exactly as they were of old — that would 

 Vol. IV. V No. 3. 



