268 THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA, ~ [CHAP. VI. 
strup of Copenhagen, and Michael Sars of Chris- 
tiania—were making perpetual advances in the 
knowledge of marine zoology. Milne-Edwards was 
illustrating the fauna of the coast of France, and 
Philippi, Grube, Oscar Schmidt, and others were 
continuing in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic 
the work so well begun by Donati, Olivi, Risso, 
Delle Chiage, Poli, and Cantraine ; while Deshayes 
and Lacaze Duthiers illustrated the fauna of the 
coast of Algeria. So much progress had already 
been made at home and abroad, that in the year 
1854 Edward Forbes considered that the time had 
arrived for giving to the public, at all events a pre- 
liminary sketch of the fauna of the European seas 
—a work which he commenced, but did not live to 
finish. 
I need scarcely say that these operations of the 
British Association dredging committees were carried 
on generally under the idea that at the 100-fathom 
‘line, by which amateur work was practically limited, 
they approached the zero of animal life—a notion 
which was destined to be gradually undermined and 
finally completely overthrown. From time to time, 
however, there were not wanting men of great skill 
and experience to maintain, with Sir James Clark 
Ross, that “from however great a depth we may be 
enabled to bring up the mud and stones of the bed 
of the ocean, we shall find them teeming with animat 
life.’ From the very general prevalence of the 
negative view there was little to stimulate to the 
investigation of the bottom at great depths, and data 
gathered very slowly. 
I have already referred (p. 18 e¢ infra) to the 
