170 Miscellaneous. 



of intelligence and not merely the product of force and matter, the 

 human mind, as a part of the whole, should so chime with it, that, 

 from what is known, it may reach the unknown ; and if this be so, 

 the amount of information thus far gathered should, within the 

 limits of errors which the imperfection of our knowledge renders 

 unavoidable, be sufficient to foretell what we are likely to find in 

 the deepest abysses of the sea, from which thus far nothing has been 

 secured. 



I will not undertake to lay down the line of argument upon which 

 I base my statement, beyond what is suggested in the few words 

 preceding — namely, that there is a correlation between the gradation 

 of animals in the complication of their structure, their order of 

 succession in geological times, their mode of development from the 

 egg, and their geographical distribution upon the surface of the 

 globe. If that be so, and if the animal world designed from the 

 beginning has been the motive for the physical changes which our 

 globe has undergone, and if, as I also believe to be the case, these 

 changes have not been the cause of the diversitjMiow observed among 

 organized beings, then we may expect from the greater depth of the 

 ocean representatives resembling those types of animals which were 

 prominent in earlier geological periods, or bear a closer resemblance 

 to younger stages of the higher members of the same types, or to the 

 lower forms which take their place now-a-days. And to leave no 

 doubt that I have a distinct perception of what I may anticipate, 

 I make the following specific statement. 



It lies in the very nature of these animals that, among Vertebrates, 

 neither Mammalia nor Birds can exist in deep waters ; and if any 

 Reptiles exist there, it could only be such as are related to the ex- 

 tinct types of the Jurassic periods, the Ichthyosauri, Plesiosauri, and 

 Pterodactyles ; but even of these there is very little probability that 

 any of their representatives are still alive. Among the Fishes, how- 

 ever, I expect to discover some marine representatives of the order 

 of Ganoids of both the principal types known from the secondary 

 zoological period, such as Lepidoids, Sauroids, Pycnodonts, Ccela- 

 canths, Amioids ; and Glyptolejns-hke species may even be looked 

 for. Among Selachians some new representatives of Cestraciontes 

 or Hybodontes may be forthcoming, connecting the latter more 

 closely to Odontaspis. I also look forward to finding species allied 

 to Corax, or connecting this genus with Notidanus, perhaps also 

 Jurassic-like forms. Among Chimseroids we may expect some new 

 genera more closely related to the extinct types of that family than 

 those now living. Among ordinary fishes I take it for granted that 

 Beryx-gQTtxQva: may be added to our list, approaching perhaps Acanus, 

 or rather Sphenocephalus ; also types allied to Istieus, to Anenchelum, 

 and to Osmeroides, Elops, and Argentina. Dercetis and BlocJiius may 

 also come up. Species of all classes of the animal kingdom which 

 have been very rarely met with by fishermen and naturalists are 

 likely to be found in the deepest waters, in which neither hooks nor 

 nets are generally lowered. Nothing is known concerning the 

 greatest depth at which fishes may live. Upon this point I hope to 

 obtain positive data. 



