16 THE FAUNA OF THE DEEP SEA 



deep-sea fauna of the eastern sloj^es of the Pacific 

 Ocean, while at the same time Her Majesty's survey- 

 ing vessel, the ' Investigator,' has been obtaining some 

 interesting and valuable results from a survey of the 

 deep waters of the Indian Ocean. But our knowledge 

 of this vast and wonderful region is still in its infancy. 

 We have gathered, as it were, only a few grains from 

 a great unknown desert. It is true that we may not 

 for many years, if ever, obtain any results that will 

 cause the same deep interest and excitement to the 

 scientific public as those obtained by the first great 

 national expeditions, but there are still many im- 

 portant scientific problems that may be and will be 

 solved by steady perseverance in this field of work, 

 and if we can only obtain the same generous support 

 from public institutions and from those in charge 

 of national funds that we have received in the past 

 two decades, many more important facts will doubt- 

 less be brought to light. 



