1861.] on Animal Life at vast Depths in the Ocean. 305 



** When we take into consideration the low position of the rhizopod 

 in the scale of being, and the obvious probability, pointed out by 

 Professor Huxley, tliat a class of creatures proved to extend so far 

 back in time — that is, in a fossil state — must be able to maintain 

 existence under extraordinary and variable conditions as regards light, 

 temperature, and pressure, the sentiment engendered is rather one of 

 wonder, that their vitality at great depths should have been so long 

 and so stoutly maintained, than that it should now be so fully proved. 

 But few persons were bold enough to suspect that creatures of a far 

 higher type, namely, Radiata, could' exist under similar conditions ; 

 and I freely admit, that nothing short of the most incontrovertible proof 

 ought to be accepted in support of such a view. Fortunately, I an>-in 

 a position to afford that proof. 



" In sounding midway, in the direct line between Cape Farewell, 

 the southern point of Greenland, and the north-west coast of Ireland, 

 in lat. 59° 27' N., and long. 26M1' W., the depth being 1260 fathoms 

 (or 2520 yards), whilst the sounding apparatus itself brought up a 

 considerable quantity of minute granular particles, looking like a fine 

 oolite, but which was, in reality, a nearly perfectly pure Globigerina 

 deposit, 13 star-fishes, from 2 to 5 inches in diameter from tip to 

 tip of rays, belonging to a genus plentifully represented on our own 

 coasts, came up adhering to the extreme 50 fathoms of sounding line. 

 These Ophiocomce were not only alive on being brought up out of 

 the water, but some of them continued for fully a quarter of an 

 hour to move about their long spinous arms. To render intelligible 

 the significancy of the entire circumstances, I must mention, that in 

 order to ensure accuracy, it is always necessary, when sounding in 

 deep water, to ascertain the depth by one sort of apparatus, and to 

 bring up the sample of bottom by another. In the present case, the 

 ascertained depth was 1260 fathoms, and 50 fathoms was accordingly 

 *' paid out " in the second operation of bringing up bottom, in order 

 to make sure that the more complicated and unmanageable apparatus 

 required for this purpose fairly rested on the bottom. 



" Now, supposing it possible that these star-fishes were drifting 

 about in some intermediate stratum of water, between the bottom and 

 surface, it is evident that they would have attached themselves indis- 

 criminately to any portion of the entire 1260 fathoms of line ; unless, 

 indeed, they chanced to have been directing their course in a closely 

 compacted column, which was transversed by the last extra 50 fathoms 

 of line at the precise moment of their crossing it. Whether it be 

 possible that they were drifting in such a column, or floating on a bed 

 of seaweed or other substance, is immaterial, inasmuch as they could 

 only have attached themselves as they did to the portion of line 

 referred to under this one condition. But the very act of attachment 

 would, I maintain, be impossible in the case of creatures whose move- 

 ments are so sluggish, when the object which they had to grasp was 

 moving upwards at the rate of two miles per hour (as it does when 

 hauled up by the steam-engine), and without a moment's intermission. 



