The Zoologist — March, 1874. 3889 



more remote periods ; as, for example, the vitreous sponges illustrate and 

 unriddle the ventriculites of the chalk." — P. 79. 



These results were considered of sufficient importance to justify 

 a second application to the Admiralty for assistance, and on the 

 18th of March, J869, a communication was read to the Council of 

 the Royal Society stating that the Lords Commissioners of the 

 Admiralty had acceded to its wish for a second cruise, and that 

 Her Majesty's survey-ship 'Porcupine' had been assigned for the 

 dredging service. 



Immediately on the receipt of this gratifying intelligence pre- 

 parations were commenced, and under the direction of her able 

 and courteous commander. Captain Calver, the 'Porcupine' was 

 equipped for sea. Dr. Carpenter, assisted by a committee of the 

 officers and a few members of the Royal Society, superintending all 

 matters bearing on the efficiency of the scientific appliances. It 

 was agreed among these competent advisers that the work should 

 be divided into three cruises, the working of the dredge being 

 superintended throughout by Captain Calver himself, to whose 

 trained ability Dr. Thomson bears a warm and well-merited com- 

 pliment, stating that he possessed so complete a mastery over the 

 dredge that he found no difficulty in carrying it down to depths 

 at which this kind of exploration would formerly have been deemed 

 impossible. All the officers heartily and zealously seconded their 

 commander in promoting alike the scientific objects of the expedi- 

 tion and the welfare and comfort of all who were engaged in 

 carrying them out. 



The first cruise covered a distance of four hundred and fifty 

 miles along the Atlantic coasts of Ireland and Scotland, from Cape 

 Clear to Rockall, including Lough Swilly, Lough Foyle and the 

 North Channel to Belfast. The weather, the very reverse of what 

 it had been in the 'Lightning' cruise, was remarkably fine, and it 

 was found practicable to work the dredge during seven days at 

 depths exceeding twelve hundred fathoms: the greatest depth 

 achieved was in the North Atlantic, about halfway between Achill 

 and Rockall, fourteen hundred and seventy-six fathoms ; and this 

 dredging produced, together with various mollusks, a specimen of 

 Holothuria tremula and a stalk-eyed crustacean with remarkably 

 large eyes, besides an abundance of novel and interesting novelties 

 in every division of marine Invertebrata. In the return passage 



