2V8 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



The coloring matters of various animals, and especially of 

 deep-sea forms dredged by the Challenger, are described by 

 Mr. Moseley in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Sci- 

 ence. During the voyage of the Challenger he made a con- 

 tinued series of observations with the spectroscope on the 

 coloring matters of various invertebrate animals. The col- 

 ors were examined spectroscopically in almost all cases in 

 which an animal presented marked coloration, but usually 

 further attention was only paid in those instances in which 

 a spectrum presenting isolated bands was obtained, such col- 

 oring matters being of most immediate interest, because they 

 are able to be readily identified. 



Mr. Moseley's remarks, in the same paper, on phosphores- 

 cent animals are interesting. Very little, if any, light can 

 penetrate from the surface of the sea to depths such as one 

 thousand or two thousand fathoms. Nevertheless, several 

 facts show that at these depths light of some kind exists. 

 Some deep-sea animals are entirely destitute of the eyes pos- 

 sessed by their shallow-water congeners, and appear, like the 

 blind cave-animals, to rely on touch alone, being provided 

 with specially long antennal hairs or fine rays for the pur- 

 pose of feeling. Professor Wyville Thomson and Dr. Car- 

 penter have suggested that phosj)horescent animals form the 

 source of light in the deep sea. Mr. Moseley seems to adopt 

 this rather absurd view, and he adds that "it seems certain 

 that the deep sea must be lighted here and there by greater 

 or smaller patches of luminous Alcyonarians, with wide in- 

 tervals, probably, of total darkness intervening. Very pos- 

 sibly the animals with eyes congregate around these sources 

 of light." 



A second contribution to our knowledge of the animals 

 of Lake Titicaca, in South America, is a list of the mammals 

 and birds by Mr. J. A. Allen, and of the Crustacea by Mr. 

 Walter Faxon. Mr. Garman contributes a number of in- 

 teresting notes concerning the llama, alpaca, guanaco, and 

 viculia. Two new birds are described a Gallinula and an 

 Ibis. 



Under the title of " Scientific Results of the Exploration 

 of Alaska by the Parties under the charge of W. H. Dall," 

 Vol. I., No. l,Mr. Dall has begun the publication of the re- 

 sults of his researches on the marine animals of the north- 



