SUMMARY OF RESULTS. 
81 
a bathybial fish-fauna, assigning to it certain fishes and stating the depths at which they Observations on 
habitually live . 1 B. T. Lowe paid special attention to the wonderful variety of the fishes ‘ Del ‘ j ,uhes ' 
of the sea surrounding Madeira. His History of the Fishes of Madeira appeared in five 
parts at irregular intervals between the years 1843 and 1860, and he gives precise 
depths at w T hich many fishes occur. The discovery that some fishes live at an early 
period of their existence at or near the surface, and at a later stage descend into the 
depths of the ocean, is due to Lowe. J. Y. Johnson, between the years 1862 and 1866, 
made some most interesting additions to ichthyology ; he discovered important bathybial 
types, but treated them like any other rare surface fishes, without taking note of their 
pertinence to a distinct fauna . 2 Between 1860 and 1870 Gunther published several 
papers on deep-sea fish, and formed the idea of a special adaptation of the ichthyic type 
to bathybial life. 
Early in the present century naturalists turned their attention to the study of the 
geographical distribution of marine animals, and some detailed researches appeared on the 
subject. Edward Gray studied the Molluscs in fresh, brackish, and salt waters, and 
pointed out the species having representatives in all the three areas. Valenciennes showed 
that not one fish was common to both the Eed Sea and the Mediterranean. But it is 
only since the observations made in 1840 by Edward Forbes in the AEgean Sea that 
these studies have acquired a real importance, on account of the methodical manner in 
which they were conducted and followed up. 
The great importance of dredging as a means of zoological research was recognised in British 
• ••••• • • Association 
1839 by the British Association, which appointed a committee “for researches with the d redgino 
dredge, with a view to the investigation of the marine zoology of Great Britain, the Committee. 
illustration of the geographical distribution of marine animals, and the more accurate 
determination of the fossils of the Pliocene period, under the superintendence of Mr. 
Gray, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Goodsir, Mr. Patterson, Mr. Thompson of Belfast, Mr. Ball of 
Dublin, Dr. George Johnston, Mr. Smith of Jordan Hill, and Mr. A. Strickland.” 3 From 
the number of eminent men on this committee valuable reports were looked for, and not 
in vain. One alone, Professor Edward Forbes, did more than any of his contemporaries 
to advance marine zoology. “ Edward Forbes,” says Thomson, “ was the ruling spirit of 
this committee, and under the genial influence of his contagious enthusiasm great progress 
was made during the next decade in the knowledge of the fauna of the British seas.” 4 
Forbes conducted long and patient investigations into the bathymetrical distribution Edward Forbes’ 
of life in various seas, and by the fascination of his literary style he invested his reports pj EE p yr ATER 
1 Histoire naturelle des principals productions de l’Europe meridionale, tom. iii., Paris, 1826. Basso states that 
Alepocephalus lives at 350 fathoms, Trachyrhynchus and Macrurus at 250 or 300 fathoms, Uraleptus at 170 fathoms, 
and Gadus at 150 fathoms. 
2 See Gainther, Zool. Chall. Exp., part lvii. p. xx., 1887 
3 Brit. Ass. Reports for 1839, p. xxvi. ; Memoir of Edward Forbes, by Wilson and Geikie, p. 246, 1861. 
4 Thomson, The Depths of the Sea, p. 265, London, 1874. 
(summary of results chall. exp. — 1894.) 11 
