1878.] 
Notices of Books. 
11 7 
As we are reminded in the preface, some years must elapse 
before the facts ascertained c in be all thoroughly digested. “ The 
observations are still unreduced, the chemical analyses are only 
commenced, and there has not been time even to unpack the 
natural history specimens.” Hence to give anything like a de- 
tailed account of the additional data which have been acquired 
by the “Challenger” expedition, or of their bearings upon the 
various problems of physical geography, must be quite impos- 
sible. To pronounce, therefore, upon the value of the expedition 
from a mere perusal of the present volumes, and to declare it a 
failure, either relatively or positively — as some persons are doing 
— appears to us in the highest degree rash and presumptuous. 
Another point to be remembered is, the work before us em- 
braces only the less interesting portion of the expedition, the 
exploration of the Atlantic. The transactions of the second and 
third years, in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, cannot as yet be 
placed before the public in their entirety. 
To form some idea of the amount of work actually performed 
we must bear in mind that the explorers took up 362 special 
observing stations, as nearly as possible at equal distances, and 
at each made the following observations : — - 
“ The exaCt depth was determined. A sample of the bottom, 
averaging from 1 oz. to 1 lb. in weight, was recovered by means 
of the sounding instrument, which was provided with a tube and 
disengaging weights. A sample of the bottom water was pro- 
cured for physical and chemical examination. The bottom tem- 
perature was determined by a registering thermometer. At most 
stations a fair sample of the bottom fauna was procured by means 
of the dredge or trawl. At most stations the fauna of the sur- 
face .and of intermediate depths was examined by the use of the 
tow-net variously adjusted. At most stations a series of tem- 
perature observations were made at different depths from the 
surface to the bottom, and samples of sea-water were obtained 
from different depths. Atmospheric and other meteorological 
conditions were carefully observed and noted ; the direction and 
rate of the surface current was determined, and at a few stations 
an attempt was made to ascertain the direction and rate of 
movement of water at different depths.” 
But it must not be thought that the duties of the expedition 
were limited to the observations just detailed. The islands and 
the coasts of continents visited were also to be explored from 
several points of view. It was especially enjoined upon the 
voyagers to “ obtain information about the vegetation of oceanic 
islands.” These, as is very justly remarked in the code of offi- 
cial instructions drawn up by a committee of the Royal Society, 
“ are in many cases the last positions held by floras of great 
antiquity, and, as in the case of St. Helena, they are liable 
speedily to become exterminated, and therefore to pass into 
irremediable oblivion when the islands become occupied.” We 
