BY THE PKESIDENT. 179 



7 shore stations on the arctic coasts of Norway, and in Eeeren 

 Ishind and S])itzbcrgcn. 



The TJuited States have prosecuted this kind of research with 

 their well-known activity and perseverance. From 1867 to the 

 autumn of 1880 four Government steamers have been continuously 

 employed in surveying; the seas which border the coasts of Central 

 and South America. Several hundred stations were investigated, at 

 depths ranging from 6 to 2412 fathoms. Count Pourtales, Professor 

 Agassiz, and his no less eminent son, have been successively in 

 charge of the scientific department. The results are both extensive 

 and invaluable. In 1871 I was invited by the late Professor 

 Agassiz to pay him a visit and examine the Mollusca which had 

 been procured during the previous years. The collection was in 

 the custody of the late Professor Stimpson at Chicago. It was 

 extremely interesting to me, in connexion with the expeditions of 

 the 'Lightning' and 'Porcupine.' I examined the collection in the 

 Museum at Chicago; and, at the request of Professor Agassiz, 

 I took home with me several of the shells for comparison with my 

 own. On my return to England, after enjoying the kind hospitality 

 of my scientific friends in the United States and Canada, I learnt 

 that Chicago had been utterly burnt down ; and I was fortunately 

 enabled to restore the shells, which were the only specimens of 

 natural history that had been saved from the fire. Through the 

 kindness of Professor Spencer Baird, I had, during this visit to 

 America, an opportunity of joining in a dredging-excursion on the 

 coast of New England, which was conducted under the auspices of 

 the Fishery Commission. 



Like a giant refreshed, France has awakened from a rather long 

 sleep ; and, with its accustomed spirit, has now rivalled all other 

 nations in deep-sea work. Last summer a scientific Commission 

 was appointed, with the venerable Professor Milne-Edwards as its 

 President ; and a large and well-equipped Government steamer, 

 the ' Travailleur,' explored the Bay of Biscay with most favourable 

 results. I was obligingly asked to take part in this expedition ; 

 and I gave an account of it at the last Meeting of the British 

 Association at Swansea, which is published in the Report of that 

 Meeting. 



Austria, Germany, and Holland have also not been last in the 

 race of maritime voyages, although they have not contributed much 

 to our knowledge of deep-sea life. 



The harvest reaped in all the above-mentioned expeditions was 

 most abundant and valuable. 



But, after all, it must be borne in mind that if every civilized 



