586 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER." 



covered as composing it are of any very important or widely- 

 aberrant zoological structure. 



Just as some members of Alpine floras are dwarfed by the 

 climate to which they are exposed, so does it occur in the case of 

 some of the deep-sea animals : but by no means in that of all, for 

 some forms seem even to increase in size, through their existence 

 in the great depths. A deep-sea Cerianthus a Sea Anemone living 

 in a tube, already described in this work* may be cited as an 

 instance of dwarfing. Pycnogonids may be referred to as examples 

 of increase of size in great depths. We dredged in deep water 

 gigantic examples of these latter animals, measuring more than 

 a foot between the tips of the legs. Nearly all Crustacea seem 

 to increase in size in the deep sea ; we dredged large specimens 

 of Serolis and other large Isopods, and large Scatyellums ; the 

 Decapod Crustacea obtained were however none of them as 

 large as the larger shallow-water forms. 



One coral, Bathyactis (Fungia) symmetrica, ranges from a 

 depth of 30 fathoms to one of 2,900 fathoms, and varies very 

 much in size. No very large specimens were obtained in small 

 depths; but very small adult specimens were found in great 

 depths, and no direct connection between increase of depth and 

 increase in dimensions was able to be determined in this case, 

 though the great number of specimens obtained rendered the 

 case a good one for examination with regard to the question 

 under consideration. 



In many respects, the zoological results of the deep-sea 

 dredgings were rather disappointing. Most enthusiastic expec- 

 tations were held by many naturalists, and such were especially 

 put forward by the late Prof. Agassiz,t who had hopes of finding 

 almost all important fossil forms existing in life and vigour at 

 great depths. Such hopes were doomed to disappointment, but 

 even to the. last, every Cuttlefish which came up in our deep-sea 

 net was squeezed to see if it had a Belemnite's bone in its back, 

 and Trilobites were eagerly looked out for. 



* See p. 408. 



f " A Letter concerning Deep-Sea Dredging, addressed to Prof. 

 Benjamin Pierce, Superintendent of the U.S. Coast Survey." Ann. & Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. 1872, p. 169. 



