22 president's addeess. 



confidence to naturalists than that of the chief, Professor Wyville 

 Thomson, and he is supported by a staff of able assistants. The 

 Challenger set sail from Portsmouth on the 21st December, and 

 the letters from those on board, which have been made public, 

 already show results which promise for the entire success of the 

 venture. It is matter for legitimate congratulation that this 

 great enterprise, the most complete of its sort ever undertaken, 

 should have been entered into by our government in a manner 

 so well calculated to benefit science. 



A narrative of the dredging cruises of the Porcupine and Light- 

 ning, by Professor Wyville Thomson, is one of the books of the 

 year, and has appeared opportunely whilst public attention is 

 attracted to the subject. As its title implies, the work is an ac- 

 count of the " Depths of the Sea," and though directed especially 

 to the history and results of these expeditions of 1868-70, it 

 forms an excellent summary of our present knowledge as to the 

 zoological conditions, physical geography, chemistry, and geolo- 

 gical relations of the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. It 

 contains perhaps but little that has not been for some time, in 

 one way or other, before scientific men, but in its present form 

 it appeals to a larger circle of readers. It seems to me however, 

 that, as an account of investigations undertaken at public ex- 

 pense, written for those who, without special training, take an 

 intelligent interest in such subjects, the book fails, firstly, in 

 being somewhat too technical, and secondly, in being a great 

 deal too expensive. 



If I make passing allusion, per contra, to another occurrence 

 of the year, it is not with the view of detracting from the credit 

 due to the government in the matter of the Challenger. But it 

 seems to me it would be wrong to pass over entirely without 

 notice circumstances which at the very end of the last session of 

 parliament called forth the indignation, not merely of scientific 

 but of educated men throughout Europe. Owing to the charac- 

 ter of its summer meetings the Club had no opportunity of join- 

 ing in the protest entered into by societies entirely or in part 

 botanical, throughout the country, against the treatment to which 

 Dr. Hooker was subjected from the present First Commissioner 



