The Scientific Advantages of an Antarctic Expedition. 449 



To sum up : — Geologists would hail the organisation and despatch 

 of an Antarctic Expedition in the confident assurance that it could 

 not fail greatly to advance the interests of their science. Among 

 the questions which it would help to elucidate, mention may be 

 made of the following : — 



The nature of the rocks forming the land of the Antarctic regions 

 and how far these rocks contain evidence bearing on the history of 

 terrestrial climates. 



The extent to which the known fossiliferous formations of our 

 globe can be traced towards the poles ; the gaps which may occur 

 between these formations and the light which their study may be 

 able to throw on the evolution of terrestrial topography. 



The history of volcanic action in the past and the conditions 

 under which it is continued now in the polar regions ; whether in 

 high latitudes volcanism, either in its internal magmas or superficial 

 eruptions, manifests peculiarities not observable nearer to the 

 equator ; what is the nature of the volcanic products now ejected 

 at the surface ; whether a definite sequence can be established from 

 the eruptions of still active volcanoes back into those of earlier 

 geological periods ; and whether among the older sheets leaf-beds 

 or other intercalations may be traceable, indicating the prolongation 

 of a well developed terrestrial flora towards the South Pole. 



The influence of the Antarctic climate upon the rocks exposed to 

 its action ; the effects of contact with ice and snow upon streams of 

 lava; the result of the seaward creep of the ice-cap in regard to any 

 lava sheets intercalated in the ice. 



The physics of Antarctic ice in regard to the history of the Ice 

 Age in Northern Europe and America. 



Rertcarks by Professor DArcy W. Thompson. 



The exploration of the Antarctic gives promise of gains to 

 zoological knowledge that are in no degree less, in my opinion, than 

 in the case of the physical sciences. The shore-fauna of the 

 Antarctic we know only by a few scanty collections made upon the 

 islands, especially upon Kergnelen Island ; and the fauna of the deep 

 sea is only represented by the produce of eight hauls of the " Chal- 

 lenger's " dredge. These few dredgings gave evidence of peculiarly 

 abundant life, indeed they were said, by common consent of the 

 naturalists of the " Challenger," to be the richest dredgings in all 

 her voyage : and they were as remarkable for the diversity as for the 

 abundance of the animals they procured. We earnestly desire, 

 and the progress of zoological science needs, further exploration of 

 the deep-sea fauna in all the oceans. Our knowledge of the fauna of 

 the deep sea is only begun ; it is known much as the fauna of the 



