3886 The Zoologist— March, 1874. 



purpose of ascertaining with precision the exact bathymetrical 

 limits of life : the late Edward Forbes conducted a series of 

 researches with the same object some years previously. 



I have already slated in these pages that no ray of light can pene- 

 trate the deepest recesses of ocean, and it appears that vegetation 

 can scarcely exist without light, therefore the limit of vegetation is 

 probably ascertained with something approaching to precision, but 

 the limits of animal life seem to elude this scrutiny and to recede 

 before the penetrating glance of the dredger, notwithstanding the 

 vain guessings of those who were the first to speculate on these 

 hidden mysteries. It would seem very erroneous opinions have 

 resulted from this system of guessing, and have been current as 

 Nature's laws. This trio of naturalists have done much to dissipate 

 such errors, and now that another expedition, that of the 'Chal- 

 lenger,' is afloat under the same auspices, we cannot doubt that 

 reliable conclusions will be obtained and published. 



The narrative of the cruises are kept quite distinct, that of the 

 * Lightning,' first in order of time, takes the first place in Dr. 

 Thomson's narrative. She steamed from Pembroke on the 4th of 

 August, 1868, and reached Oban on the 6ih. Here Drs. Carpenter 

 and Thomson joined. Dr. Carpenter was accompanied by his son 

 Herbert. On that evening they anchored at Tobermorey, and after 

 a gusty passage through the Minch reached Stornaway in the Lews 

 on the evening of the 9th. About fifteen miles north of the Butt of 

 Lews the first haul was taken, just for the purpose of testing the 

 tackle and of tracing the limits of shallow-water species. The 

 dredge worked well, but brought up few animal forms, and all of 

 them well-known inhabitants of the seas of the Hebrides. 



From Stornaway the 'Lightning' steamed northwards towards 

 the Faeroe Bank, so celebrated for their cod-fishing. Although the 

 principal object of the fleets of English and Foreign smacks which 

 frequent this bank is to procure fish for curing, yet many of the 

 English ones are welled for the supply of fresh cod for the London 

 market. These welled vessels are familiar to most Londoners, 

 but the following paragraph from the volume before us will be 

 acceptable to many : — 



" A large square tank occupies the middle of the vessel, and holes in the 

 sides allow the water to pass freely through it. The water in the tank is 

 thus kept perfectly fresh ; the best of the cod are put into it, aud they stand 

 the voyage perfectly. It is curious to see the great creatures moving grace- 



