60 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. ["^JoumTjIuwy 
The deep-sea dredging of M. Sars, jun., had led to very interesting 
results, and Professor Wyville Thomson had suggested an English 
expedition for the purpose of exploring the sea bed between the north 
of Scotland and the Faroe Isles. He (Dr. Carpenter) brought the 
matter before the Council of the Eoyal Society, which entered warmly 
into the plan. 
General Sabine had indeed been with Sir J. Ross when a star-fish 
and worms were brought up from a depth supposed to be 1000 
fathoms, and probably not less than 700 or 800. 
A letter was written by General Sabine to the Admiralty, making 
application for a suitable vessel, and the request had the advantage of 
being supported by Captain Richards, Hydrographer to the Admiralty. 
The Admiralty having consented, the 'Lightning' was equipped for 
the purpose, with all needful appliances, under the command of Cap- 
tain May. It was specially proposed to work in a line known to be 
of from 500 to 600 fathoms' depth, between Scotland and Faroe Isles. 
One important point in this expedition was to ascertain the sea tem- 
perature at various depths with greater accuracy than had been at- 
tempted before. Three thermometers were always sent down for this 
purpose, and no indications accepted unless two of them agreed. 
The average temperature of the surface (in August) was from 
52° to 544° Fah., but in lat. 60° 10', long. W. 5° 69', they found the 
temperature at the sea bottom only 32° at a depth of 550 fathoms, 
a result somewhat unexpected, as physical geographers had stated that 
the lowest sea temperature was 39°; but they had not taken into con- 
sideration the actual temperature at which the greatest density of 
salt water occurred, nor had they noticed the effect of pressure in. 
retarding freezing. This Arctic current appeared to divide the warm 
Gulf Stream current into two forks. Upon a bank in the cold area, 
170 fathoms below the surface, the temperature was 41° 7', while at 
another point on the north of Scotland, at same depth, the temperature 
was 48° to 49°, and Terehratula cranium, Norwegian Foraminifera, were 
more abundant. At another spot, 500 fathoms deep, several types of 
animal life were found. In the warm area at the same depth they 
met with an immense variety of animal life, including glohigerina 
mud, Huxley's coccoliths, and Dr. Wallich's coccospheres. Out of 
this mud four masses tumbled, which proved to be silicious sponges, 
disclosing, when washed, a structure as beautiful as Euplectalla. 
They were formed of interlaced spicules one layer over another, 
and belonged to a new type. A number of smaller silicious sponges, 
mostly new, were dredged up, together with new rhizopods and extra- 
ordinary specimens of known types. Among these objects were 
specimens of Hyalonema, with the long fibres protruding into the 
mud, like roots. There were also moUusks, echinoderms, and crus- 
taceans, showing the " richness of marine life at 500 fathoms' depth ; 
and one especial object of search, the Rhizocrinus of Sars, was among 
the captures." The mud was so viscid that it was difficult to extract 
jointed objects from it without breaking them. 
Dr. Carpenter then referred to the protoplasmic network in deep 
sea mud, which Professor Huxley had termed Bathybius, and which, 
