IN THE WAKE OF TnE “ CHALLENGER. 
19 
are unfavourable to a free-swimming stage of development.* 
Corinthian Bay, in Yong Island, of the Heard group, was reached 
on the evening of Feb. 6, but, unfortunately, a change of 
weather prevented a stay here of more than two hours. “ Nu- 
merous glaciers come right down to the shore. The vegetation 
is most scanty, most of the land surface not covered with ice 
being bare.” Only five flowering plants, apparently of the same 
species as at Kerguelen — among them a much-dwarfed Pringlea 
and one or two mosses, and a liverwort— were found. f 
From deep soundings (1,375 to 1,900 fathoms) taken before 
reaching the Crozets the bottom was found to be composed en- 
tirely of Orbulina and Globigerina dead, and of the same species 
as those on the surface. Some Coccoliths and Rhabdoliths were 
also found. Samples of these sea-bottoms were of the purest 
carbonate of lime yet obtained ; and when placed in a bottle 
and shaken up with water they looked like a quantity of sago. 
South of Heard Islands the bottom, as shown by soundings at 
1,260 fathoms, was quite different , 66 being one mass of diatoms.” 
The most southerly station was reached on Feb. 14, being in 
lat. 65° 42' S., and long. 79° 49' E. — just outside of the Antarctic 
circle, the 66 threshold ” of which is at 66° 32' S. On Feb. 24, 
in trying to get under the lee of an iceberg, the Challenger was 
brought by a strong current into collision with it, and had her 
jib-boom carried away. At this time the ship was really in 
some danger from the numerous icebergs. On the following day 
the Challenger was within 15 miles of the position of the so- 
called “ Termination Land ” laid down on a chart sent by Lieut. 
Wilks to Capt. Ross. As no signs of it were to be seen it was 
concluded that its existence was mythical.^ Laboratory work in 
the southern latitude was very unpleasant, the microscopes and 
other instruments being so cold that it was anything but agree- 
able to handle them, in rooms in which the temperature averaged 
25° F. for several days. Dredging, too, was a critical operation, 
as the gear, becoming stiffened, was liable to part. Berg and 
floe ice were examined, and were found to contain the usual dia- 
toms. In 48° 18' S. lat. the fauna was already fully that of 
warmer zones. The Indo- Australian current therefore extends 
farther southwards than had hitherto been expected. Indeed, 
certain surface-animals of the warm Indian current from the 
N.W. were observed as soon as 50° 15' lat. S. was reached. § 
* Von Willemoes-Suhra . — “ Proc. Royal Soc.” vol. xxiii. p. 351. 
t Moseley. Ibid. 
X “ The Antarctic. A letter from H.M.S. Challenger .” By Prof. Wyville 
Thomson, in “Good Words,” July 1875. See also a communication “ On 
Dredgings and Deep-sea Soundings in the South Atlantic, in a Letter to 
Admiral Richards, C.B., F.R.S.” — “ Proc. Royal Soc.” vol. xxii. p. 427. 
§ Von Willemoes-Suhm. Ibid. 
