67 
consideration, and good taste never failed him. His passion for 
flowers seemed a part of his nature ; he cultivated them with the 
greatest care, and, though delighting to display them to the 
greatest advantage in his own house, he enjoyed equally his 
regular practice of carrying any particularly choice specimen he 
might have grown to present it to some of his many friends. 
In 1867 he was made Vice-President of the Jury on Raw 
Products at the Paris Exhibition. 
On the 30th May 1868 he addressed the letter to Dr Carpenter 
which was previously agreed upon, pointing out that Edward 
Forbes’s conclusion, that a zero of animal life was reached at a 
depth of a few hundred fathoms, was incorrect, as had been proved 
by M. Absjornsen’s dredging starfishes at 200 fathoms, and by 
M. Oscar Ears dredging living crinoids from 300 fathoms ; that the 
effect of pressure has probably been greatly exaggerated, because an 
equal pressure within and without by water would probably produce 
no injurious effect on animal life, and might even contribute to 
increase the aeration of the v r ater ; and that, looking at the con- 
dition of the cave fauna, it is probable that the diminution of 
light at great depths may only affect the development of colour and 
of the organs of sight. He suggested that, whilst dredging at 1000 
fathoms was quite beyond the reach of private enterprise, it was 
quite practicable if the Admiralty could be induced to grant the 
use of a vessel for the purpose. He proposed to start from. 
Aberdeen, to go first to the Rockall fishing banks, and thence 
north-westward towards the coast of Greenland, rather to the north 
of Cape Farewell. 
Dr Carpenter wrote to General Sabine enclosing Professor 
Wyville Thomson’s letter, pointing out the admirable results 
obtained by M. Sars, with similar aid granted by the Swedish 
Government ; and showing that he and Dr Thomson had restricted 
their request within such conditions as could, without great expense 
or inconvenience, he acceded to by the Admiralty. On the evening 
of the day on which Dr Carpenter’s letter was written, General 
Sabine brought the subject under the consideration of the council 
of the Royal Society, who at once approved of the proposal, recom- 
mended it to the favourable consideration of the authorities of the 
Admiralty, and advanced a sum of £100 to meet expenses. The 
