436 SCIENTIFIC ADVANTAGES OF AN ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



been done. The most promising zoological subject of Antarctic explo- 

 ration seemed to him, however, to be the further investigation of the 

 extinct fauna. The few fossil remains already obtained indicated the 

 former existence in the South Polar area of a very different climate 

 from that which now prevailed there, and further researches on this 

 point might lead to most important results. 



Prof. D'Arcy W. Thompson said that all we knew of the deep-sea life 

 of the Antarctic came from eight hauls of the dredge, which hauls were, 

 by common consent of the naturalists of tbe Challenger^ the most pro- 

 ductive of the whole cruise. The fauna of every ocean urgently 

 demanded further exploration, for we knew now no more about the fauna 

 of the deep sea than was known a hundred years ago of the fauna of the 

 shore. But the circumpolar fauna of the south, at the meeting of all 

 the great oceans, presented problems of peculiar importance. He con- 

 sidered Dr. Murray's theory of a "bipolar fauna," closely akin both in 

 the Arctic and Antarctic, as not proven ; but he believed that there were 

 many remarkable cases of continuous distribution, especially along the 

 cold waters of the western American coast from the Antarctic into the 

 North Pacific, and even to Japan, If the "bipolar hypothesis" were 

 broken down, Antarctic exploration would lead to new generalizations, 

 not less interesting, to take its place. 



Admiral Sir William Wharton said that an Antarctic expedition must 

 be under naval discipline. He hoped that such an expedition would 

 not be far off, and he felt sure there would be a rush of officers and men 

 to join it. 



Sir John Evans, in briefly summing up the discussion, said it had 

 maintained a high level, and tliat the meeting had been prolonged to 

 an unprecedented hour in the Eoyal Society. All were agreed as to 

 the immense advantages of an expedition, and he was sure it would 

 find a warm advocate in the hydrographer to the Admiralty. 



