116 REPORT — 18G9. 



a breathless little band of ^Yatcllel■s intimated that the dredge had returned in 

 (safety from its wonderful and perilous journey of more than six statute miles. A 

 slight accident had occurred. In going down the rope had taken a loop round the 

 dredge-bag, so that the bag was not full. It contained, however, enough for our 

 purpose — 1^ cwt. of "Atlantic ooze; " and so the feat was accomplished. Some 

 of us tossed ourselves down on the sofas, without taking off our clothes, to wait till 

 daylidit to see wliat was in the dredge. The next day we dredged again in 2090 

 fathoms, practically the same depth, and brought up '2 cwt. of ooze — the bottom 

 temperature being'36°-4 ; and we spent the rest of the day in making what will, I 

 am sure, prove a most valuable series of temperature observations at e^'ery 250 

 fathom-point from the bottom to the surface. These enormously deep dredgings 

 could not be continued. Each operation required too much time, and the strain 

 was too great, both upon the tackle and upon the nervous systems of all concerned, 

 especially of Captain Calver and his officers, who certainly did aU that could be 

 compassed hy human care, skill, and enthusiasm, to ensure success. We crept 

 home, dredging in easier depths. We start again to-morrow, and, as you may 

 suppose, I have enough to do. I can therefore only gi\'e you the slightest pos- 

 sible sketch of our results, anticipating fuller information when I have time to 

 collate the diaries and to look over the specimens. First, as to the temperature. 

 The superheating of the sun extends only to the depth of about 50 fathoms. 

 Another cause of superheating, probably the Gulf-stream, extends to the depth of 

 from 500 to 700 fathoms. After that the temperature gradually sinks at the rate 

 of about 0°-2 for every 200 fathoms. This is probably the normal rate of decrease, 

 any deviation being produced by some special cause — a warm or a cold current. 

 Secondly, the aeration of the water. Mr. Hunter, who accompanied me as phy- 

 sicist, found the water from great depths to contain a large excess of carbonic acid, 

 and he found the water from ail depths to contain a considerable proportion of 

 dissolved organic matter ; thus in e-\ery way bearing out the observations of Mr. 

 W. L. Carpenter during the first cruise. Thirdly, distribution of life. Life ex- 

 tends to the fp-cntest depths, and is represented by all the marine invertebrate 

 groups. At 24;^5 fathoms we got a handsome Dcntalimn, one or two crustaceans, 

 several Annelids and Gephi/iva, a very remarkable new Crinoid with a stem 4iuche.s 

 long (I am not prepared to say whether a mature form or a Pentacrinoid), several 

 starfishes, two hydroid zoophytes, and many Foraminifera. Still the fiiuna has 

 a dtvarfed and arctic look. This is, doubtless, from the cold. At 800 to UOO 

 fathoms, temperature 40^ Fahr. and upwards, the fauna is rich, and is especially 

 characterized by the great abundance of vitreous sponges, which seem to be nearly 

 related to, if not identical with, the Ventriculites of the (^'halk. This year's work 

 has produced many forms new to science and many new to the British fauna. 

 Among the most remarkable in the groups I have been working at I may mention 

 a very singular Echinoderm, representing a totally new (/roup of the subkingdom, 

 a splendid new Ophiurid, many specimens of Sars's Bhizocrinns Lofotcnsis, many 

 vitreous sponges, including species of AphrocaUistes, Iloltema, and Hyalonemo ; 

 a fine Solarium from the coast of Kerry, and many other tilings. As I am only 

 writing in the interval of scaling the boiler, Avith no opportunity of going over 

 the collections, you must accept this sketch. 1 trust to your contributing the 

 Crustacea, which will be sent to you as soon as possible. I wiU write again from 

 Lerwick. — Ever truly yours, WyVillt; Thomson." 



On WJiale Semains was7ied ashore at Bahhacombe, South Devon, 

 By W. Pengellt, F.B.S., F.G.S. 



The author exhibited and described three cervical vertebrae which, at inter\als 

 during the last six years, had separately been cast up by the waves on a beach near 

 Eabbacombe, and which belonged to a whale new to the British fauna {lialam- 

 ptira robuda, hiWjiehorg = EschricJitius robustus, Grey). The author stated that 

 an imperfect .skeleton found imbedded in the sand on the coast of Sweden, and the 

 veitebraB laid before the Section, were the only known evidence of the existence of 

 the species of whale to which they belonged. 



