496 Scientific Intelligence. 



and New York, 1888. (Houghton, Mifflin & Co.) Bulletin of the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Cambridge, 

 Mass. — These volumes by Prof. Alexander Agassiz contain the 

 best general review of the deep-sea conditions and pelagic and 

 deep-sea life which has been published; and, at the same time, 

 they give a detailed physical and biological account of one of the 

 most interesting regions for deep-sea study in the world, with 

 illustrations of the best kind in profusion. 



The three cruises of the Blake occurred in the seasons of 1877- 

 78 from December to March, 1878-79 commencing in November, 

 and in 1880 commencing late in June. The first expedition was 

 under the command of Lieut. Commander C. D. Sigsbee, IT. S. N., 

 and the second and third under Commander J. R. Bartlett, U. S. 

 N. The methods of sounding and dredging were gradually per- 

 fected with the progress of the work ; Mr. Agassiz remarking, 

 in his introductory chapter, that the criticisms of the first equip- 

 ment and the suggestions of the Commanders and of the Lieuten- 

 ants and other officers of the ship, constantly modified the meth- 

 ods of work and so changed the apparatus that "it would have 

 been difficult to recognize the original dredging implements as 

 first devised." The character of the final equipment of the 

 "Blake" is the subject of the first chapter, which, like the others, 

 has its many detailed illustrations. 



The various lines of sounding and dredging covered, as shown 

 on a large map, the region about the Windward and other West 

 India Islands, the northern half of the Caribbean Sea, a portion 

 of the Gulf of Mexico, and along the Atlantic Coast. Besides 

 these explorations of the American side of the ocean, there is 

 also the work, as the Historical Sketch states, of the Fish Com- 

 mission under the direction of Prof. Baird, which began in 1871 

 with naval tugs, but was carried on in 18S2 with the steamer 

 "Fish Hawk" and in 1883 and since with the "Albatross," and 

 the still earlier dredging by Pourtales, an assistant of the Coast 

 Survey, in the years 1867, 1868. "To the memory of L. F. 

 Pourtales, a pioneer in deep-sea dredging," Agassiz has dedicated 

 his work. Further, the important deep-sea explorations of the 

 Challenger in these waters took place in 1873. 



Among the topics treated in the volumes, there are the following: 

 The Florida coral reefs, and connected with it, the subject of the 

 origin of the reefs; the topography of the eastern submarine 

 coast region of the North American Continent and the causes de- 

 termining the existing features illustrated by several bathymetric 

 maps; the relations of the American and West Indian fauna and 

 flora, embracing the west-American or Pacific as well as east- 

 American, and including the subject of changes in the course of 

 the Gulf Stream, and the geological consequences; the. perma- 

 nence of continents and oceanic basins, a doctrine fully sustained 

 by the facts gathered ; the deep-sea or sea-bottom formations ; 

 the deep-sea fauna, and in connection the deep-sea rocks and 

 fauna of ancient or geological time ; the pelagic fauna and flora, 



