2 2 Thomas Henry Huxley 



supplied, we were obliged to sift the contents of the dredge 

 through our hauds — a tedious and superficial mode of examina- 

 tion. Two days after, Mr. Huxley and I set to work in Bota- 

 fogo Bay, provided with a wire-gauze meat-cover and a curious 

 machine for cleaning rice ; these answered capitally as sub- 

 stitutes for sieves, and enabled us, by a thorough examination 

 of the contents of the dredge, to detect some forty-five species 

 of Mollusca and Radiata, some of which were new to science." 



By " new to science" MacGillivray meant no more 

 than that the particular genera and species had not 

 been capttired before. Huxle}^ by his anatomical 

 work, showed many of the most famiHar creatures in a 

 light " new to science," by revealing their true struct- 

 ure and relationships. 



"Among the acquisitions," MacGillivray goes on, "I may 

 mention a new species of Amphioxus, a genus of small fishes 

 exhibiting more anomalies than any other known to Ichthyolo- 

 gists, and the lowest organisation found in the class. It some- 

 what resembles the sand-eels of Britain in habits, like them 

 moving with extraordinary rapidity through the sand. By 

 dint of bribery and ridicule we had at length managed to get 

 our boatmen to work tolerably well, and when we were alike 

 well-roasted by the sun and repeatedly drenched, besides being 

 tired out and hungry, they had become quite submissive, and 

 exchanged their grumbling for merriment." 



The towing net repeatedly produced a rich harvest. It 

 was constructed by themselves, and consisted of a bag 

 of the bunting used for flags, two feet deep, the mouth 

 being sewn round a wooden hoop fourteen inches in 

 diameter ; three pieces of cord, a foot and a half long, 

 were secured to the hoop at eqtial intervals and had 

 their ends tied together. This net was towed behind 

 the ship by a stout cord. The water passed through 

 the meshes of the cloth and left behind in the pocket 

 any small floating animals. 



