262 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



On his return Sir Wyville was appointed Director of the 

 " Challenger Deep-Sea Commission," formed for the purpose 

 of workincr out the results of the " Challenger " dredojinc^s and 

 physical observations. His time was so fully occupied with 

 this, and with his enormous University classes, that he could 

 find comparatively little to spare for the original scientific 

 investigation which he planned, and partly carried out, on the 

 Crinoids and Hexactinellid Sponges of the expedition. In 

 June 1879 a sudden failure of health obliged him to dis- 

 continue his University work, and as he never thoroughly 

 recovered he resigned his professorship in October 1881, and 

 the directorship of the "Challenger" Commission at Christmas 

 of the same year. He died at Bonsyde on the 10th March 

 1882. 



Sir Wyville will be best remembered in science as being 

 the principal originator and administrator of the British deep- 

 sea dredging expeditions. A complete list and estimate of 

 his published writings wdll be given elsewhere, so we need 

 here only notice his two volumes on the Challenger expedi- 

 tion— "The Voyage of the Challenger "—" The Atlantic," 

 which were written during the cruise and published on its 

 completion. His principal contributions to the Eoyal Society 

 of London were the valuable papers " On the Embryogeny 

 of Antedon rosaceus," " On Holtenia," and " On the Echin- 

 oidea of the 'Porcupine' Deep-sea Dredging Expeditions." 

 We have already referred to the lucid narrative of the earlier 

 voyages given in his " Depths of the Sea." 



Sir Wyville was highly esteemed by his colleagues in the 

 Senatus, and with, his students was a very favourite professor. 

 He had much sympathy for the young; those who showed 

 the desire for learning or research were always sure of his 

 help and encouragement. 



Eew men have owed so much to native gift and attri- 

 bute. The personal charm for which he was proverbial, 

 and which made him the delight of troops of friends, was 

 the result of the union of many qualities not usually found 

 associated. Of a noble form and of singularly handsome 

 features, the impression he produced was that of one of 

 commanding power and intellectuality. His suggestion was 



