Page:Polar Exploration - Bruce - 1911.djvu/154

150 In the scientific work carried out on board the Erebus, Hooker especially supported Ross, and Sir John Richardson in his report on "The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Erebus and Terror," says the warmest thanks of zoologists "are due to Dr. Joseph Dalton Hooker for his able co-operation with his commanding officer, and for the excellent sketches and notes which he has contributed." Hooker was the sole worker of the townet, bringing the captures daily to Ross and helping him with the preservation of marine animals, as well as with drawing a great number of these animals for him. The zoological collections of that expedition were most important and furnished the first evidence that a rich fauna existed in Antarctic seas at all depths from the surface to the bottom. The deep-sea exploration of the Challenger in relatively high southern latitudes furnished further concrete evidence that there existed in Antarctic seas a very rich fauna of fishes and invertebrates, and also indicated to us that great results might be obtained by an exploring ship equipped for deep-sea work that was also fitted out for doing that work well within the Antarctic ice-pack. The Valdivia in 1898 explored as far south as 64° 14′ S. off Enderby Land, and made extensive biological collections especially in plankton.

But it was the Belgica in 1897–99 that first