president's address. 505 



to work out successfully— the increase of the number of periodi- 

 cals and other publications devoted to the elucidation of Nature 

 and science, all bear testimony to what I have stated. 



The days we live in are replete indeed with wonders and new 

 discoveries. The girdle with which the poetic fancy of the 

 greatest dramatist encircled the earth will ere long become an 

 actual reality, and perhaps even in less than the forty minutes, 

 which Puck claimed for his work, it may be possible to convey 

 the tidings which that girdle can carry. 



The secrets of the deepest oceans are being unveiled, and few 

 contributions to natural science have ever been communicated 

 to the world of gi'eater interest than the story of the survey car- 

 ried on last autumn by Dr. Carpenter and Prof. Wyville Thom- 

 son, on board H.M.S. "Porcupine." They were able to draw 

 up part of the bottom of the ocean from a depth of two thousand 

 four hundred fathoms, or more than two and three-quarter miles ; 

 and to establish the fact, that in a temperature constantly lower 

 than the freezing point at the surface of the earth, not merely 

 the lowest organisms, but highly developed Mollusca, Echino- 

 derms, and Crustacea exist. This is not the place, nor is the 

 occasion a fitting one, to enter into the details of this most mem- 

 orable expedition. 



It may suffice for our present purpose to say that the number 

 of species new to our seas, and procured in this expedition, was 

 one hundred and seventeen. Of these fifty-six were altogether 

 new to science, and eight were supposed to exist as tertiary fos- 

 sils only. The total number of species of our marine Mollusca 

 is, I believe, about four hundred and fifty-one, so that more than 

 one-fourth has been added by this one expedition, and in the 

 course of a few months. Further investigation and search will, 

 no doubt, show that even this is but the very first ingatherings 

 of a glorious harvest. Some light was also, I think, throAvn on 

 geological problems, seemingly almost incapable of a decided 

 solution hitherto. Stony ground did not occur beyond a depth 

 of five hundred and fifty fathoms, the rest of the sea bed was 

 mud or ooze. This superstratum appears to consist chiefly of 

 decomposed animal matter mixed with shells of Pteropods and 



