65 
examples of a starfish “ Brisinga,” which seems to find its nearest 
ally in the fossil genus Protaster. In this way it had become 
certain that animal life does not cease in the ocean at a depth of a 
few hundred fathoms, as the late Edward Forbes had supposed. 
Wyville Thomson tells us that, long previously to 1868, he “had 
a profound conviction that the land of promise for the naturalist, 
the only remaining region where there were endless novelties of 
extraordinary interest ready to the hand which had the means of 
gathering them, was the bottom of the deep sea.” And when, in 
his visit to Norway, he became fully acquainted with the advant- 
ages which Professor Sars and his son had enjoyed through the 
means of their Government, he resolved to lose no opportunity of 
pointing out how greatly the Government of the most powerful 
maritime nation in the world might aid science by placing at the 
disposal of naturalists one of their numerous unemployed vessels to 
assist in the exploration of the ocean depths. A favourable oppor- 
tunity presented itself when engaged with Dr W. B. Carpenter in 
working out the structure and development of the Crinoicls in the 
spring of 1868. Dr Carpenter was a vice-president of the Eoyal 
Society, through which body alone it seemed that the Government 
could be influenced. He considered the subject carefully, and hav- 
ing arrived at a conclusion favourable to the project, it was resolved 
that he should bring the subject under the notice of the Society, 
introducing it by a letter which his colleague was to write to him 
after his return to London. The Eoyal Society and the Govern- 
ment entered heartily into the plan, and the dredging cruises of 
H.M.S. “ Lightning” and “Porcupine” and the expedition of the 
“ Challenger” were the result. 
It has been already stated that Wyville Thomson was appointed 
to the chair of Mineralogy and Geology in Queen’s College, Belfast, 
in 1854. On the removal of Dr Dickie to Aberdeen in 1860, the 
duties of the chair ofBota ny and Zoology were also entrusted to 
him, and he became from that time Professor of Natural History in 
these four branches. For the discharge of these duties he was very 
peculiarly fitted from the happy way in which he had at different 
times been called upon to teach the four subjects in succession. 
He had now the entire responsibility of the department of Natural 
History. In the year 1860 he Was admitted to the degree of LL.D. 
e 
