114 
MEMORIAL. 
LyceuM oF NATURAL History, IN THE City of NEw YorRK, 
No. 64 Madison Avenue, 
New York, January 15th, 1874, 
To THE Hon. GEoRGE M. Ropeson, SECRETARY OF THE Navy. 
Sir ;—It is with great interest that this Society, together with all 
similar scientific bodies in the country, has observed the provision 
made by appropriation from Congress, for the equipment of several 
astronomical parties, who are to represent American science in connec- 
tion with the observation of the coming transit of Venus. We rejoice 
that our country is preparing to take a worthy part, among other and 
older nations, in this great work of common interest for all civilized 
communities, 
While, however, this fact is a matter of much gratification and pride, 
there is yet another aspect of the subject, to which the undersigned 
beg leave to call your attention, and in regard to which we would 
desire, without any wish to complicate the arrangements of the Expe- 
dition, to present a few suggestions. 
Among the places to be occupied by the Transit parties, are several 
which are rarely visited by civilized man, lying far in the southern 
seas. These are points of great, and now of increasing, interest in con- 
nection with geology and natural history. Enough is already known, 
to show with much clearness the fact that vast areas of land have, at 
periods not very distant in the course of geological ages, gone beneath 
the southern waters, leaving only a few scattered and outlying points 
of land, to represent, by their surviving remnants of life, the fauna and 
flora that occupied the su¥merged Antarctic areas. Under these un- 
favorable conditions, and in such contracted limits, these relics of 
ancient life must almost of necessity be constantly passing away; and 
it therefore becomes of the greatest interest to science, to seize every 
possible opportunity of exploring and observing these distant regions, 
if we would preserve or decipher the record of those geological and 
geographical changes which constitute the physical history of our 
globe. 
The Lyceum of Natural History would, therefore, inquire whether 
any arrangements have been made, and if not, how far it would be 
possible to provide them, for the prosecution of zodlogical, botanical, 
and geological studies in the course of the Expedition. We are well 
aware that the primary purpose of the Expedition is astronomical, and 
that the appropriation yoted by Congress is specifically designed for 
such objects. But while this is the case, the opportunities for biologi- 
cal and geological studies, afforded in visiting such places as the 
