142 



NA TURE 



{June 25, 1874 



so that if it be desired to exhaust the air from any ves- 

 sel it will only be necessary to connect it with one of 

 these pipes and turn on a vacuum. If a more per- 

 fect vacuum be desired than can be obtained by this 

 means, the vessel may be subsequently exhausted by the 

 Sprengel or other air-pump. A metal tube filled with 

 mercury, with glass gauges on every floor for observing 

 the height of the mercury within, will extend throughout 

 the whole height of the tower and will serve as a mano- 

 meter. The lower end of the tube will pass through the 

 wall and terminate in F Fig. i. On the top of the tower 

 will be fixed a wooden mast carrying a pointed metal rod, 

 for the purpose of collecting atmospheric electricity. The 

 rod will communicate with the interior of the laboratory 

 by an insulated wire. 



The floors of the building are liberally supplied with 

 hatches about 8 in. square, and in most cases those in the 

 first floor are placed vertically under those in the second 

 floor, so that wires may be suspended through the whole 

 height of the building. 



The laboratory was designed by Mr. W. M. Fawcett, 

 M.A., of Jesus College, and the way in which he has 

 turned to account the space available for his purpose, as 

 well as the simple beauty of his designs have been the 

 subjects of great admiration. Loveday of Kibworth was 

 the contractor. 



After the congregation on the i6th the Duke of Devon- 

 shire, Sir Bartlc Frere, Sir Garnet Wolseley, Prof 

 Stoletow of Moscow, Prof. Balfour Stewart, Prof. Roscoe, 

 and other distinguished visitors inspected the laboratory 

 and expressed great satisfaction with the building and the 

 arrangements. 



Amongst the apparatus at present in the laboratory 

 besides the electro-dynamometer of the British Associa- 

 tion, may be mentioned the original B.A. units of resist- 

 ance, together with the rotatory coil, speed governor, and 

 bridge used in their construction ; Sir William Thomson's 

 quadrant electrometer, resistance coils up to 100,000 ohms 

 (a megohm as well as some coils of very small resistance 

 are expected shortly), three mirror galvanometers of dif- 

 ferent constructions, a 3 ft. 6 in. glass plate electric 

 machine, and a 30 in. ebonite electric machine, Holtz's 

 electric machine, and a hydraulic press, of a peculiar con- 

 struction, made by Ladd and Co. 



THE ''CHALLENGER" IN THE SOUTH 

 ATLANTIC 



AT the last meeting of the Royal Society a letter from 

 Prof. Wyville Thomson on board H.M.S. Challenger, 

 to Admiral Richards, was read, which contained results of 

 such high importance to biological science that were it 

 the only result of the expedition England might have 

 been proud to have had a hand in it. It is most interest- 

 ing too as carrying on the story of the daily life on board 

 ship which has been touched upon by Prof. W. Thomson 

 in former communications to NATURE. The letter, which 

 is dated Melbourne, March 17, starts by telling us that 

 south of the line observations in matters bearing upon 

 Prof. Thomson's department were made most successfully 

 at nineteen principal stations, suitably distributed over 

 the track, and including Marion Island, the neighbourhood 

 of the Crozets, Kcrguelen Island, and the Heard group. 



After leaving the Cape, several dredgings were taken a 

 little to the southward, at depths from 100 to 150 fathoms. 

 Animal life was very abundant ; and the result was re- 

 markable in this respect, that the general character of 

 the fauna was very similar to that of the North Atlantic, 

 many of the species even being identical with those on 

 the coasts of Great Britain and Norway. 



Marion Island was visited for a few hours, and a con- 

 siderable collection of plants, including nine flowering 

 species, was made by Mr. Moseley. A shallow-water 

 dredging near Marion Island gave a large number of 

 species, again representing many of the northern types, 

 but with a mixture of southern forms, such as many of 

 the characteristic southern Bryozoa and the curious genus 

 Scrolls among Crustaceans. Off Prince Edward's Island 

 the dredge brought up many large and striking specimens 

 of one or two species of Alcyonarian zoophytes, allied to 

 Mopsca and his. 



The trawl was put down in 1,375 fathoms on Dec. 29, 

 and in 1,600 fathoms on the 30th, between Prince Ed- 

 ward's Island and the Crozets. The number of species 

 taken in these two hauls was very large, and many of them 

 belonged to especially interesting genera, while many were 

 new to science. There occurred, with others, the well- 

 known genera Eupkctclla, Hyalonema, Umlcllularla, 

 Tlabcllunt, two entirely new genera of stalked Crinoids 

 belonging to the Apiocrinida;, Pourialesla, several Spa- 

 tangoids new to science, allied to the extinct genus 

 Ananchytes, Salenla, several remarkable Crustaceans, 

 and a few fish. 



The Challenger reached Kerguelen Island on Jan. 7, 

 and remained there until Feb. i. During that time Dr. 

 von Willemoes-Siihm was chiefly occupied in working out 

 the land-fauna, Mr. Moseley collected the plants, Mr. 

 Buchanan made observations on the geology of those 

 parts of the island which were visited, and Mr. Murray and 

 Prof. Thomson carried on the shallow- water dredging in 

 the steam-pinnace. Many observations were made, and 

 large collections were stored. 



Two days before the expedition left Kerguelen 

 Island they trawled off the entrance of Christmas 

 harbour, and the trawl-net came up on one occasion 

 nearly filled with large cup-sponges belonging to the 

 genus Rossella of Carter, and probably the species dredged 

 by Sir James Clark Ross near the ice-barrier, Rossella 

 antarctlca. 



The Challenger reached Corinthian Bay in Yong 

 Island on the evening of the 6th, and all arrangements 

 had been made for examining it, as far as possible, on 

 the following day ; but a sudden change of weather 

 obliged Capt. Nares to put to sea. Fortunately Mr. 

 Moseley and Mr. Buchanan accompanied Capt. Nares 

 on shore for an hour or two on the evening of their arrival, 

 and took the opportunity of collecting the plants and 

 minerals within their reach. 



The most southerly station was made on Feb. 14, lat. 

 65" 42' S., long. 79" 49' E. The trawl brought up, from 

 a depth of 1,675 fathoms, a considerable number of ani- 

 mals, including Sponges, Alcyonarians, Echinids, Bry- 

 ozoa, and Crustacea, all much of the usual deep-sea 

 character, although some of the species had not been 

 previously observed. 



Prof. Thomson gives a list of the various classes of 



