10 
occasion as many as 4o specimens of the new siliceous sponge Holtenia 
were taken in one haul of the dredge. The Porcupine then steamed to the 
centre and the deepest part — 2700 fathoms — of the Bay of Biscay, as it 
was desirable to obtain, if possible, a cast of the dredge at that depth for 
the sake of confirming the results obtained at 2435 fathoms in August 
1869. The peculiarly favourable conditions of weather necessary for the 
accomplishment of this object were not fulfilled, and having waited two 
days in vain the Porcupine steamed to Cape Finisterre, and after dredging 
in its neighbourhood, anchored in the beautiful harbour of Vigo, in 
company with the Spanish fleet and the ill fated turret ship H.M.S. Captain, 
from whose Commander, Captain Burgoyne, and from Captain Coles, we 
received every possible kindness and attention. After coaling and refitting, 
we proceeded to sea again and spent a week in dredging off the Portuguese 
coast in all depths up to 1100 fathoms; down to the latitude of Lisbon, 
in which port we anchored on July 23rd, having, on the previous day, 
noticed a remarkable mirage at sea, which was also observed on the same 
day at various points on the coast of England and Scotland. 
Dredging and sounding off the Portuguese coast were attended with 
much greater risk to the apparatus employed than at corresponding depths 
near the British Isles on account of the very rocky character of the 
bottom, even at great depths. On one or two occasions both instruments 
and rope were lost, and more accidents would have happened but for the 
great care and patience displayed by Captain Calver in extricating the 
apparatus from entanglements in rock. Many forms of Mollusca were 
obtained which had hitherto not been noticed south of the Shetlands, as 
well as several more specimens of Holtenia. This sponge was also seen by 
the writer in the Museum at Lisbon, having been quite recently obtained 
by the shark fishers on the South coast of Portugal. Two extraordinary 
hauls of the dredge were mentioned : in one, several specimens were 
obtained of a new living Pentacrinus, about half the size of the West 
Indian species, Avhich was considered the Zoological gem of the expedition ; 
and on another occasion, the dredge came up full of shells, mostly dead, 
and consisting of Pteropods, but comprising certain species hitherto 
regarded as exclusively Northern, and others which Mr. J effreys recognised 
as Sicilian Tertiary fossils, while nearly forty per cent, were undescribed 
species. Of the total of 186 species, 91 were recent, 24 fossil, and 71 new 
or undescribed. 
It was then stated that all the thermometric observations of the deep 
sea made on the voyage from Falmouth to Lisbon, fully confirmed the 
