in tlie Ocean at the South Pole. 177 



sand, penguins' feathers and excrements, the Ulva, and only five 

 as yet distinguished species of siliceous Infusoria in great num- 

 bers, form the mass sent over. The vegetable substances may 

 indeed have disappeared by putrefaction. The excrement of the 

 birds, like guano, might abundantly furnish solid matter; but the 

 solid siliceous earthy dement of the little invisible polygastric 

 animals appears to form no inconsiderable part of the solid sub- 

 stance, which by the death of generations goes to form earth and 

 land. 



The following forms were observed : — 



SILICEOUS POLYGASTRICA. 



1. Eunotia amphioxys. 4. Rhaphoneis Scutellum. 



2. Pinnularia borealis. 5. Stauroptera capitata. 



3. — peregrina ? 



Two forms are new, two have been observed also at the north 

 pole, and one is widely distributed. 



II. Oceanic materials from M. Schayer. 



M. Schayer of Berlin, who for fifteen years was superintendent 

 of English sheep-folds at Woolnorth in Van Piemen's Land, 

 has, in answer to a request sent to him in the year 1842 by the 

 author, collected materials unquestionably rich in microscopic 

 animals ; he also collected water taken from the ocean in differ- 

 ent regions on his return in 1843, and brought with him to 

 Berlin four bottles holding from a quarter to half a pint. The 

 author had wished that water had been drawn up at a distance 

 from the coast in accurately known places, in order to become 

 acquainted in some measure with the usual amount of microsco- 

 pic life of the ocean. 



The four well-preserved sealed bottles which have arrived in 

 Berlin were shown to the Academy by the author, and the water 

 is still quite clear and transparent, having only a few flakes at 

 the bottom, which render it turbid when shaken, but soon sub- 

 side again to the bottom, and the former transparency is restored. 

 When opened, a slight but yet evident trace of sulphuretted hy- 

 drogen was perceptible. 



The microscopic investigation has given the following results : 



1. Water from the south of Cape Horn on the high sea under 

 57° S. lat., 70° W. long., contained— 



SILICEOUS POLYGASTRICA. 



1. Fragilaria yranulata. 3. Lithostylidium Serra. 



2. Hemiaulus obtusus. 



