Miscellaneous. 457 



of its hive at the distance of a few feet. Now everyone knows that 

 the sight of a Bee is much longer than that. The author concludes 

 that each element corresponding with a facet must be regarded as a 

 complete eye. But it is clear that in this case the principle of iden- 

 tical points does not exist for these eyes, and that we must suppose 

 the animal to possess the power of perceiving impressions in the di- 

 rection of the rays which strike each facet. — Siebold und Kolliker's 

 Zeitschrift, 1859, p. 191 ; Bibl. Univ. June 20, 1860; Bull. Sci. 

 p. 161. 



Results of Soundings in the North Atlantic. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, — During the recent survey of the proposed North 

 Atlantic Telegraph route between Great Britain and America, con- 

 ducted on board H.M.S. Bulldog, some important facts have re- 

 vealed themselves, from which it would appear that all preconceived 

 notions as to the bathy metrical limits whereby animal life is circum- 

 scribed in the sea are more or less erroneous. The mighty ocean 

 contains its hidden animate as well as inanimate treasures ; and it is 

 probable that, under proper management, the former may speedily 

 be brought to light, whatever may be the ultimate fate of the latter. 

 In short, we are almost warranted, from the evidence already at our 

 command, in inferring that, although hitherto undetected, a sub- 

 marine fauna exists along the bed of the sea, and that means and 

 opportunities are alone wanting to render it amenable to the scrutiny 

 of the naturalist. 



In sounding midway between Greenland and the north-west coast 

 of Ireland, at 1260 fathoms — that is, at a mile and a half below the 

 surface, in round numbers — several Ophiocomce were brought up, 

 clinging by their long spinous arms to the last fifty fathoms of line. 

 They were alive, and continued to move their limbs about energeti- 

 cally for upwards of a quarter of an hour after leaving their native 

 element. The species seems allied to O. granulata, Link, the spe- 

 cimens varying from 2 to 5 inches across the rays. Lest it be sup- 

 posed that these Ophiocomce were floating or drifting in the water at 

 any point intermediate between the surface and bottom, it is only 

 necessary to mention that the determination of depth having been 

 effected by a separate operation and apparatus, the more tedious pro- 

 cess of bringing up the sample of bottom is entered on ; and, owing 

 to the difficulty of finding out the exact moment at which ground is 

 struck, a considerable quantity of line in excess of the already ascer- 

 tained depth is usually paid out. This quantity therefore rests on 

 the bottom for a short time until the sounding-machine is again 

 hauled up. The OphiocomcB were adherent to' this last fifty fathoms 

 only, and were not secured at all by the sounding-machine. It is 

 quite clear therefore that they were met with on the surface-layer of 

 the deposit. The distance from the nearest point of Greenland to 

 the spot at which this sounding was made is 500 miles, and to the 

 nearest point of Iceland (namely an isolated rock called the * Blinde 

 Skier,' about seventy miles from the mainland) 250 miles ; so that, 



Ann. $ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol.vi. 30 



