Dr. Hooker on some results of Deep-sea Dredging. 239 



very similar to those forming the " fossil powder '^ detected in 

 the neighbourhood of New York and in other parts of the globe. 

 Prof. Ehrenberg has described from our collections as many as 140 

 species, or thereabouts, all brought from the vicinity of Palmer's 

 and Victoria Land. In a living state they inhabit the surface of 

 the ocean and the newly-forming ice, and afford food for Salpce 

 and animals of a higher organization ; which, in their turn, nou- 

 rish the most fully-developed beings inhabiting those regions 

 where the animal kingdom lives and abounds independently it 

 would seem of the vegetable. Well may we agree with Professor 

 Owen in regarding these " minute Infusory animalcules'' as " the 

 wakeful members of nature's invisible police, everywhere ready 

 to arrest the fugitive organized particles which are suspended in 

 water, and to turn them back into the ascending stream of ani- 

 mal life." 



It is probable that animal life exists at a very great depth, sus- 

 pended in the ocean. On one occasion a sounding-line that had 

 been lowered to 1000 fathoms brought up at the 550-fathom 

 mark, long strings of animal matter, about the diameter of a 

 crow-quill, of indefinite length, great elasticity, and as viscid as 

 bird-lime. It is certainly possible that in descending or ascend- 

 ing the line may have become entangled with this substance 

 nearer the surface ; but I am not inclined to suppose so for the 

 following reasons : because the tow-net was constantly used, both 

 during and before and after the soundings, without procuring 

 any of the substance ; because its viscidity was so great, that no 

 other part of the line could well have passed through without a 

 portion adhering to it ; and because, upon two future occasions, 

 the same substance came up on the sounding-line from unques- 

 tionably very deep water. 



Allow me to conclude by expressing my earnest hope that your 

 pages may be destined to announce the results of dredgings at 

 far greater depths than those I have just mentioned, and in lesser 

 ones too, from all longitudes between Baffin's Bay and Behring's 

 Straits ; for I am satisfied that every means of forwarding this 

 object will be granted to Mr. Goodsir, who has abeady proved 

 himself admirably qualified to turn such opportunities to the best 

 account. 



Believe me ever yours very truly and respectfully, 



Joseph Dalton Hooker. 



