F. GEOGRAPHY. 241 



In addition, however, the Challenger has shown that many 

 of the species occur over very wide ranges in portions of the 

 sea bottom far apart, especially those of great geological 

 antiquity, forms being found in the New Zealand seas having 

 a general resemblance to those at the same depth off Portu- 

 o^al and North Africa. 



Some extremely curious forms of animal life were obtained 

 by the Challenger^ among them one crab that appeared to be 

 all eyes, and another without any. The two remarkable 

 sea-urchins obtained in the Porcupine expedition, Saleiiia 2i\\di 

 Pourtalesia^ were found by the Challenger^ the latter over a 

 wide area. A great hydroid was found, as large as a young 

 tree, and many sponges of exquisite beauty. The globigerina, 

 under the careful examination of surface specimens, proved 

 to have a spiny coat surrounding the holes, through which 

 the contractile and motile yet structureless protoplasm pro- 

 trudes. 



The deepest Atlantic sounding was made nearly ninety 

 miles north of St. Thomas, in 3875 fathoms; the deepest in 

 the Pacific was about five degrees east of Jeddo, 3950 fath- 

 oms, with a bottom of red clay. In the Pacific there were 

 some very important observations made in regard to the 

 existence of confined basins at the sea bottom, having a uni- 

 form temperature for a considerable depth. The depth of 

 these submarine basins was ascertained by noting the dis- 

 tance over which the same temperature W'as maintained. 

 When the thermometer indicated a gradual lowering of tem- 

 perature to a certain point, and then remained unchanged 

 with increasing depth, it was concluded, with great show 

 of reason, that the area Avas surrounded bv a barrier without 

 any opening through which the bottom Avaters could pene- 

 trate. No such basins were found in the Atlantic. 13 A^ 

 June 3, 1876, 538. 



SWEDISH ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS TO 1875. 



The Swedish government publishes in a small pamphlet 

 a general account of Sweden, and a catalogue of the objects 

 presented by the Swedish government for exhibition in the 

 International Geographical Congress at Paris in 1875. In 

 this volume we find noticed the following Swedish expedi- 

 tions for the exploration of the arctic regions: In 1837 



L 



