18 FOUNDERS OF OCEANOGRAPHY 



Down in the deep, where the mermen sleep, 



Our gallant dredge is sinking ; 

 Each finny shape in a precious scrape 



Will find itself in a twinkling ! 

 They may twirl and twist, and writhe as they wist. 



And break themselves into sections. 

 But up they all, at the dredge's call, 



Must come to fill collections. 



Then a-dredging, etc. 



The creatures strange the sea that range, 



Though mighty in their stations, 

 To the dredge must yield the briny field 



Of their loves and depredations. 

 The crab so bold, like a knight of old. 



In scaly armour plated, 

 And the slimy snail, with a shell on his tail. 



And the star- fish — radiated ! 



Then a-dredging, etc. 



Fig. 1. — The Naturalist's Dredge. 



And on another occasion, when at the Oxford Meeting 

 in 1847 there had been a notable discussion on the nature 

 and relations of the extinct dodo, Forbes brought out his 

 " Song of the Do- do," of which the following are some of 

 the verses : — 



Do -do ! Vasco da Gama 



Sailed from the Cape of Good Hope with a crammer, 



How he had met, in the Isle of Mauritius, 



A very queer bird wot was not very vicious. 



Called by the name of a do-do ; 



And all the world thought what he said was true. 



Do-do ! although we can't see him 



His picture is hung in the British Museum ; 



