Notices of Memoirs — Antarctic Exploration. 271 



geological problems. Fossil finds in high latitudes are always of 

 special importance. The pieces of fossil wood from Seymour Island 

 can hardly be the only relics of plant life that are likely to be met 

 with in Tertiary and even older systems within the Antarctic. 

 Tertiary, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic forms are tolerably well developed 

 in the Arctic regions, and the occurrence of like forms in the 

 Antarctic regions might be expected to suggest much as to former 

 geographical changes, such as the extension of Antarctica towards 

 the north, and its connection with, or isolation from, the northern 

 continents, and also as to former climatic changes, such as the 

 presence in Pre-Tertiary times of a uniform temperature in the 

 waters of the ocean all over the surface of the globe." 



After pointing out the importance of magnetic and pendulum 

 observations, geodetic measurements, tides, and currents, the author 

 referred to the depth of the Antarctic Ocean. 



" In regard to the depth of the ocean immediately surrounding the 

 Antarctic continent we have at pi-esent very meagre information, and 

 one of the objects of an Antarctic expedition would be to supplement 

 our knowledge by an extensive series of soundings in all directions 

 throughout the Antarctic and Southern Oceans. It would in this way 

 be possible, after a careful consideration of the depths and marine 

 deposits, to trace out approximately the outlines of the Antarctic 

 continent. At the present time we know that Koss obtained depths 

 of 100 to 500 fathoms all over the great bank extending to the east 

 of Victoria Land, and somewhat similar depths have been obtained 

 extending for some distance to the east of Joinville Island. Wilkes 

 sounded in depths of 500 and 800 fathoms about 20 or 30 miles 

 off Adelie Land. The depths found by the ' Challenger ' in the 

 neighbourhood of the Antarctic circle were from 1,300 to 1,800 

 fathoms, and further north the 'Challenger' soundings ranged from 

 1,260 to 2,600 fathoms. To the south-west of South Georgia, Eoss 

 paid out 4,000 fathoms of line without reaching bottom. In the 

 charts of depth which I have constructed I have always placed 

 a deep sea in this position, for it appears to me that Ross, who knew 

 very well how to take soundings, was not likely to have been 

 mistaken in work of this kind. 



"The few indications which we thus possess of the depth of the 

 ocean in this part of the world seem to show that there is a gradual 

 shoaling of the ocean from very deep water towards the Antarctic 

 continent, and, so far as we yet know, either from soundings or 

 temperature observations, there are no basins cut off from general 

 oceanic circulation by barriers or ridges, similar to those found 

 towards the Arctic." 



Dr. Murray next spoke of the deposits of the Antarctic Ocean. 



" The deposits which have been obtained close to the Antarctic 

 continent consist of blue mud, containing glauconite, made up for 

 the most part of detrital matters brought down from the land, but 

 containing a considerable admixture of the remains of pelagic and 

 other organisms. Further to the north there is a very pure diatom 

 ooze, containing a considerable quantity of detrital matter from 



