GEOLOGY. 309 



This bank is supposed to be an extension of the Bahama Banks, 

 and will be carefully explored. Its discovery is claimed for the offi- 

 cers whose names are at the head of this article, and for the vessels 

 with which they are connected. 



The following interesting remarks in regard to the nature of the 

 bottom brought up, are made by assistant L. F. Pourtales, who has 

 examined the specimens deposited in the Coast Survey Office, and 

 has compared them with those of the coast of Cape Henlopen, former- 

 ly examined by him. Mr. Pourtales says : 



" I have in hand now the specimens of bottom from the Gulf Stream, 

 obtained by Lieut. Craven, and can say that they are among the most 

 interesting I have ever seen. You recollect that I said in my Report 

 that with the increase in depth (in the greater depths) the number of 

 individuals appeared to increase. The greatest depth from which I 

 had seen specimens was between 200 and 300 fathoms. There the 

 sand contained perhaps 50 per ct. of foraminiferae (in bulk.) The 

 specimens now before me go to 1050 fathoms, and there is no longer 

 sand containing foraminiferae, but foraniiniferte containing little or no 

 sand. The grains of sand h'ave to be searched for carefully under the 

 microscope to be noticed at all. The species are the same as found 

 in the deep sea sounding in section 2, but the specimens look fresher 

 and appear somewhat larger. The Globigerina rosea of D'Orbigny 

 which forms the majority, has frequently that delicate pink color to 

 which it owes its name, but which I cannot recollect to have noticed 

 in northern specimens. There are also some species of coral and dead 

 shells from the depth of 1050 fathoms. The corals do not look much 

 worn, but still appear to have been dead. There are some delicate 

 shells of mollusc us from depths beyond 500 fathoms, where they were 

 certainly living." 



OX DEEP SEA SOUXDIXGS AXD ERRORS THEREIX, FROM STRATA 

 OF CURREXTS, WITH SUGGESTIOXS FOR THEIR IXVESTI- 

 GATIOXS. 



The following is an abstract of a paper on the above subject read 

 before the British Association, by Dr. Scoresby. 



He set out by observing that the subject of deep sea soundings was 

 one which lately had become of great interest, inasmuch as recent 

 soundings had tended to show that there were profundities in the sea, 

 much greater than any elevations on the surface of the earth, for a 

 line had been veered to the extent of seven miles. He believed the 

 first soundings beyond a mile were mad .-. by himself, when quite a 

 youth, in the Arctic regions. Since then, in 1849, Her Majesty's 

 ship Pandora had obtained soundings in the North Atlantic, at 2,060 

 fathoms. Capt. Basnet, in 1848, in the North Atlantic, got soundings 

 at 3,250 fathoms. In 1849, Lieut. Walsh, of the United States Navy 

 got soundings at 5,700 in the North Atlantic. But a much greater 

 depth had been obtained by Capt. Denharn, in the South Atlantic. 

 In 1852, he got soundings at 7,706 fathoms. After the line had been 



