REVIEWS. 
179 
As to the most important of these, it may, however, he a question 
whether they relate to the zoology of the sea or the land, the subjects of 
them being the sea-birds and seals. Upon the habits, and especially the 
nesting, of the noddies, frigate-birds, penguins, gulls, albatrosses, and other 
sea-birds which occur in such abundance on the almost inaccessible rocky 
islands scattered over both oceans, Mr. Moseley has much to say, and his 
descriptions of the “ rookeries ” inhabited by these birds are particularly 
interesting and valuable. But where all is so good, it seems rather invidious 
to select parts for special notice, and it will be almost sufficient to say in 
general terms that wherever the ‘( Challenger ” went, Mr. Moseley appears 
to have kept both his eyes and his mind open and active, and that he has 
been singularly successful in transferring his thoughts and observations to 
paper. 
Upon avast number of the subjects here treated of, although they may 
have been dealt with by previous writers, our author’s remarks and reason- 
ings possess an originality which gives them a special value of their own ; 
whilst in some cases, as in the account of the curious genus Peripatus, and 
in the description^ the hvdrozoan corals, the Milleporidse and Stylasteridse, 
he gives us the results of his own original researches. The geological struc- 
ture of the localities visited comes in for a due share of attention, and in 
connection with this department of science we find some valuable observa- 
tions on the glaciation of such out-of-the-way spots as Heard Island and 
Kerguelen’s Land. An entire chapter, and a most interesting one, is devoted 
to the author’s observations among the antarctic ice, the phenomena pre- 
sented by which in its various floating forms are described in considerable 
detail and illustrated by a good many figures. 
The above are the principal natural history matters on which Mr. Moseley 
discourses at any length ; but throughout his narrative we find scattered an 
infinity of useful observations upon the various interesting facts in zoology and 
botany which struck him during his long journey, both by land and sea, and 
his concluding chapter is devoted to a special review of the phenomena of 
animal and vegetable life at the surface of the ocean and in the deep sea as 
revealed by the investigations of the scientific staff of the “Challenger.” 
This final chapter contains a great many philosophical reflections on the facts 
observed, and may be regarded as giving an excellent summary of the present 
state of our knowledge of pelagic and abyssal animals. At the same time it 
shows that in some respects there are still elements of uncertainty in the 
recorded observations. Thus according to the generally accepted views 
there is a surface fauna and a deep sea fauna, but we hear of nothing between 
them, although Mr. Moseley seems to think that the vast intervening space 
is not wholly uninhabited, and suggests a method of investigation which 
would probably give novel and interesting results. On the other hand, we 
have the curious connected facts of the occurrence of brightly coloured 
organisms, blind organisms, and others furnished with greatly developed 
organs of vision. Why should these peculiarities occur ? If the assumed 
darkness of the bottom be the cause of the blindness of some species, why 
should others be so well provided with eyes ? for we cannot believe that the 
latter organs would be developed, as Mr. Moseley suggests, for the purpose 
of making use of the light emitted by phosphorescent animals, of which, 
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