XVI 
PREFACE. 
“ Over the whole warm area explored, the bottom of the sea 
was found to be covered with globigerina deposits — that is, 
with animal life actively engaged in the chalk form ation.” 
This is a most important discovery, and affords a complete 
justification of the interrogation I ventured to put to Professor 
Huxley when he lectured on the chalk “ deposits ” in Sion 
College two years ago, — namely, “ whether he believed or 
knew that the foraminifera of the Atlantic ooze are merely 
deposited when dead (for he had spoken of their f exuviae ’), 
and by simply sinking down in that condition to the bottom 
of the ocean ; or whether lie thinks, or knows, that they are 
still alive at the bottom, and propagating their species there.” 
He gave me no reply ; and I fear he then did consider it 
{f merely absurd to suppose that the foraminafera are actually 
now breeding at the bottom of the Atlantic,”* as I said in my 
paper, in reply to the learned Professor, read in the Institute 
on 16th December, 1867. But the Professor, after all, was 
wrong ; and the result of these deep-sea soundings proves, how 
philosophic and truly scientific is the attitude of the Victoria 
Institute, in refusing to accept every temporary scientific 
opinion as “ science,” without full and impartial investigation. 
J. BEDDIE, Hon. Sec. 
November 23rd, 1869. 
* Vicle Journal of Transactions , vol. ii. p. 324. 
