BATHYBIA.
volcano on which we now stood. The great basicity of the lava, and the fact that it contained metallic elements, and probably also metallic carbides at a depth, as indicated by the exhalations of hydrocarbons, showed it to be typical of the deeper earth crust.
The abundance of both plant and animal life, and especially the curious restrictions governing their range seemed, at first aquaintance, inexplicable. The biologist now drew attention to the fact that all the species represented were but curiously developed forms of types already known to the scientific world. They had suffered but little variation, though many had increased enormously in size. Furthermore, it was known that such species could at one stage or another in their life-history be transferred for great distances by wind agency. Also many, even in adult state, after remaining frozen for long periods, maintained the power of re-animation when thawed out.
In the light of this information, it seemed most reasonable to suppose that the invasion of plant and animal life had come from warmer climates through the agency of the anti-trade winds.
It was just about two a.m., when a select few were in the act of brewing their tenth cup of tea since supper, that a movement in one of the sleeping bags
