62 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



amused themselves by writing their names with the finger 

 on the surface of the giant Pyrosoma, as it lay on deck in a 

 tub at night, and the names came out in a few seconds in 

 letters of fire. 



Many interesting discoveries were made on the 

 " Challenger " in regard to the deep-sea fishes, which were 

 shown to extend down to no less than 2,750 fathoms. Perhaps 

 the most sensational novelty is the presence of light-producing 

 organs on the heads, gill-covers, and bodies of many abyssal 

 fishes, and apparently under the control of the animal's will. 

 Delicate organs of touch are in other cases associated with 

 imperfect eyes. All the deep-sea fishes are, however^ modifica- 

 tions of shallow water forms, and none of them represent 

 types of earlier date than the Cretaceous period. 



No reference can be made here to the valuable reports 

 on Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals — nor to those on the Botany 

 and Anthropology of the various little-known lands visited 

 during the expedition. 



I am afraid that I have been able to give only a brief 

 and inadequate summary of some of the chief results of the 

 "Challenger" expedition, but I must not omit to point out 

 that one of the most important results is the improvement 

 in methods of investigation seen in later expeditions. It is 

 easy to criticise the " Challenger " equipment and methods, 

 and even the contents of some of the reports, but it must 

 be remembered that it all happened a generation ago and that 

 the methods of science may become old-fashioned in a very 

 few years. The Naturalists on the " Challenger " were the 

 pioneers of deep-sea exploration, and their experiences taught 

 many lessons by which later expeditions profited. Improved 

 methods of capture of oceanic animals have resulted from 

 the uncertainty felt on the " Challenger "as to the zone from 

 which particular organisms found in the nets had been really 



