REVIEWS. 
—— 9Ó.—— 
EA EXPLORATIONS.—In the Report before us * are given the 
preliminary proceedings and equipment, the narrative of the three cruises 
performed during 1869, the general results so far as they relate to Physics 
and Chemistry, and, in an appendix, a summary of the observations upon, 
and analysis of, samples of sea water and deep sea bottom collected, dur- 
ing the cruise. Passing over the first portion for the sake of brevity, 
(though there is much, especially in the description of the equipment, to 
interest all naturalists), we learn "m the Porcupine, with Mr. Jeffreys 
and Mr. W. B. Carpenter on board, left Woolwich, May 18th, and after 
coaling at Galway, on the west coast of Ireland, cruised, dredging at in- 
throughout. Among the signe ‘were Nucula pumila, Verticordia 
abyssicola, ** Fusus” n.sp. like ** F." Sabinii, Phakellia ventilabrum, Gon- 
oplax rhomboides, Ebalia n.sp., Pd Hog Geryon tridens and many small 
crustaceans. The next dredgings were taken in a line eleven degrees of 
longitude due west from Galway, and reached a depth of 1230 fathoms. 
All the mollusca except Aporrhais Serresianus were northern (the temper- 
ature of the bottom being 37° 8/ Fahr.) ; several new species and two new 
Mighels (which has two conspicuous eyes), a species of Ampelisca, an 
eyed crustacean, and numerous gigantic foraminifera. A third trip, from 
Killebegs to the Rockall Bank was then made, and dredgings as deep às 
1476 fathoms succeeded in obtaining an abundance of life. Among the 
species were an imperforate brachiopod with a septum in the lower 
valve, which Mr. Jeffreys calls | Atretia gnomon, Kelliella EE ola Sars, 
Cumacea n.sp., several sm new crustaceans; Pourtalesia, probably 
P. miranda, A. Ag. and many fine foraminifera, in cluding an pes ites of 
eached fi 
able ground for belief that, if life existed at that depth, it could have no 
bathymetrical limits. In Lat. 47° 38/ north, and Lon. 12° 08’ W. Gr. a 
depth of 2435 fathoms was obtained, and a dredge weighing 225 lbs. was 
‘sent down with a heavy weight attached to the line five hundred 
fathoms from the dredge, in order to make it bite the bottom. This ap- 
paratus, attached to 3000 fathoms of line, was ten minutes in running out. 
* De. iki lee tion of the Deep Sea in H. M. Surveying Ves- 
sel Poreupine, dies ee a of 1869. Conducted by Dr. W. B, Carpenter, pis P.R.S., J. 
Gwyn Jeffreys, F.R.S., and Prof. Wyville Thompson, LL. D., F.R.S. (Proc. R. Soc. No. 121.) 
(744) 
