ANNIVERSAKT ADDEESS OP THE PRESIDEN-T. xlvii 



were smaller, but still considerable. I annex a list of the number 

 of species dredged at the depth of 2700 feet, for the purpose of show- 

 ing how these researches already affected questions depending on 

 the relative proportion of recent and extinct species, as to the age 

 of the newer geological deposits : — 



Known species. New species. Total. 



MoUusca 7 4 11 



Crustacea 2 1 3 



Echinodermata 3 3 



Foraminifera 20 4 24 



32 9 41 



In 1867 Count Pourtales * dredged, between Plorida and Cuba, 

 in depths of about 3000 ffc., and found a rich fauna of MoUusca, 

 Crustacea, Corals, and Echinoderms. 



Impressed with the value of these observations, and with the 

 importance of a more systematic and yet deeper exploration of the 

 ocean -bed. Dr. Carpenter, at the suggestion of Prof. Wyville Thom- 

 son, brought the subject before the Eoyal Society in June 1868. 

 As the undertaking was beyond the reach of private enterprise, an 

 application was made by the President and Council of the Society. 

 to the Government for a vessel for the purpose. The request was 

 readUy and liberally responded to ; a Government steamer was then, 

 and again in 1869 and 1870, placed at the disposal of the Com- 

 mittee appointed for the purpose ; and a most important series 

 of deep-sea dredgings have been carried out by the above-named 

 naturalists and Mr. Gwyn Jeffreys. Only the general results have, 

 as yet been laid before the Eoyal Society. These, however, are 

 quite sufficient to show that the expeditions have proved of the 

 highest service to natural science, whether as regards the existence 

 and distribution of animal life at great depths of the ocean, the 

 temperature at various depths, the direction of the great oceanic 

 currents, or the bearing of such investigations on the past his- 

 tory of our globe. 



Almost everywhere the deep bed of the Atlantic was found co- 

 vered in its greatest depth with a light-coloured calcareous mud, 

 abounding in Olohigerince, rich in siliceous sponges, and often sup- 

 porting a varied fauna of MoUusca, Crustacea, and Echinoderms. 

 jSTumerous valuable observations were also made on deep-sea tem- 



* ' Bulletin of the Museum of Comp. Zoology,' Cambridge, U. S., 1867, and 

 ' Silliman's Journal ' for Nov. 1868. 



