August 29, 1884.] 



SCIENCE 



17 



depth, and covered by cold water of very 

 heavy pressure. 



The reflections of the author upon the ther- 

 mal tables are to the effect that the warm-water 

 species, which are also of comparatively shal- 

 low water, are by far the most numerous, — 

 a proportion which suggests that heat, light, 

 and small pressure tend to produce variety in 

 form and structure. "Yet," it is remarked, 

 "there is not that vast difference between deep 

 cold species and shallow warm ones which 



zoologist, but that science has been simply 

 his diversion, in the midst of man}' other time- 

 consuming occupations, as legislator, fish-cul- 

 turist, farmer, and politician. 



Two papers more will complete work upon 

 the echinodcrms, and these are being prepared 

 by Mr. P. H. Carpenter of Eton college. 

 The Comatulidae were his from the start ; and 

 the stalked crinoids, which were reserved for 

 his personal study by the late director, will be 

 completed by him, and reported upon in a 



THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE SHIP, THE MESSENGER- WEIGHTS, THE TOGGLE (g) , AND THE DREDGE (B, ETC.), AT 

 DIFFERENT STAGES OF PAYING-OUT FROM THE CHALLENGER. 



might reasonably be looked for, on the theory 

 that so-called natural forces are alone potent 

 to effect change." 



The work on fossil species is simply a re- 

 view of the present state of knowledge, which 

 is admitted to be very unsatisfactory. At pres- 

 ent it cannot be said that a single fossil genus 

 is identical with the living ; but there is much 

 unstudied material in museums. The index 

 is a workmanlike conclusion to a most schol- 

 arly production ; and our transatlantic fellow- 

 workers, who insist in their reviews upon 

 -calling the author Professor Lyman, will be 

 surprised to know that he is not a professional 



paper under the joint authorship of Thomson 

 and Carpenter. 



Work upon the Coelenterata is progressing 

 at a satisfactory rate. The Alcyonarians are 

 still unpublished, the work being in the hands 

 of Prof. E. Percival Wright. 



Professor Albert von Kolliker disposes of the 

 Pennatulida in an essay of forty-one pages 

 (vol. i., 41 p., 11. pi.)*, with 61 beautifully 

 executed lithographic figures. The expedition 

 brought home 38 species of 19 genera, of 

 which 27 species and 7 genera were new to sci- 

 ence. The author formerly believed the great 

 majority of the Pennatulida to occur at depths 



