ER Lao PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 59 
BRIGHTON AND Sussex Naturat History Soctery.* 
April 10th.—Mr. Glaisyer, Vice-President, in the chair. 
The receipt of a paper “On Lichens,”’ by Miss Hall, and also of 
“Notes on a Flint Pebble,” by Mr. F.C. S. Roper, F.R.M.LS., read 
before the Hastbourne Natural History Society, from the Secretary, 
was announced. 
It was also announced that the ‘Moss Flora’ of Sussex was ready 
for distribution, and that members could have duplicate copies, at a 
nominal price, by application to the Hon. Sec., Mr. Wonfor, 38, 
Buckingham Place. 
The subject of the fund being raised for the widow and family of 
the late Professor Sars was introduced by the President. The Society 
not having power to vote its funds for such a purpose, a subscription 
was made among the members present, and forwarded to Professor J. 
Gwyn Jeffrys. 
The President, Mr. T. H. Hennah, F.R.MS., then read a report 
“On Soundings from the Arctic Seas.” 
Mr. J. Cook Burrows some years since purchased the geological 
collection of Sir E. Parry from his widow, and presented the soundings 
to Mr. J. Peto, by whom they were given to Mr. Hennah for micro- 
scopical examination in January last. 
The soundings were taken by Sir E. Parry in his expedition of 
1818 in Davis’s Straits and Lancaster Sound, between lat. 68° N. and 
76° 15’ N., and long. 73° W. and 78° 34’ W., in depths between 22 
fathoms and 1058 fathoms. 
Those from shallow water consisted of fragments of stone and 
coral much water-worn, having attached zoophytes, a microscopic 
madrepore, and the tube of an annelid. 
From deeper localities the soundings were rich in organic débris, 
much even of the sand being in the form of teste of Arenaceous Fora- 
minifera of different kinds. Diatomacez, particularly large Coscino- 
disci, were abundant, as were also sponge spicule; but shelly Fora- 
minifera and Polycystina were very scarce. Of the Foraminifera, 
many casts of the insides of the shells were found. 
In lumps of hardened mud from Lancaster Sound, lat. 73° N., 674 
fathoms, the borings of annelids were found, still containing the skins 
of their inhabitants, affording conclusive evidence of the existence of 
life at great depths in the Arctic Seas. 
Mr. Hennah regretted that these soundings, which might years 
since have taught so valuable a lesson, had been allowed to remain 
without proper examination, until their historical interest, and that 
attached to recent discoveries, had, almost too late, directed attention 
to them. 
The discoveries of Carpenter, Gwyn Jeffrys, and Wyville Thomson 
in relation to the physical condition of deep seas—the geological 
changes going on now as of old—and the addition to our recent 
fauna of many species before only known in a fossil state, were then 
alluded to. 
* Report supplied by Mr. T. W. Wonfor. 
