210 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



ular sounds, like Murray Anchorage. The passage of the shore seolian 

 rock ledges into the coral patches can easily be traced, off both the 

 north and the south shores, as will be seen later on. 



I have to thank his Excellency, the Governor of the Bermudas, Gen- 

 eral Lyon, for permission to make soundings and dredgings among these 

 islands with the view of studying the coral formation. To the Hon. 

 Archibald Alison, Colonial Secretary, I am indebted for assistance in 

 many ways during my visit to the Bermudas, especially in obtaining in- 

 formation from the government officers, and for a fine specimen of float- 

 ing pumice stranded upon the south shore ; and to Captain Can-, R. N., 

 in charge of the Bermuda dockyard, for information regarding Ireland 

 Island and the flats. I have to thank General Eussell Hastings and 

 the American Consul, the Hon. Marshall Hanger, for their interest in 

 my explorations, and to Mr. John C. Watlington 1 am indebted for 

 statistics regarding the temperature of the sea water at different sea- 

 sons of the year. 



The slope of the mountain of which the Bermudas are the summit 

 varies considerably, judging from the three sections given on Plate II. 

 The slope off North Rock (Plate II. Fig. 3) is steeper than the slope 

 off Castle Harbor (Plate II. Fig. 4). Off North Rock the distance from 

 the 100 fathom line to a depth of nearly 1,400 fathoms is about six 

 miles, while off Castle Harbor the 100 fathom line is nearly eiglit miles 

 from a depth of less than 1,250 fathoms. Ott' the Argus Bank the 100 

 fathom line is about ten miles from a 1,370 fathom sounding (Plate II. 

 Figs. 1, 2). These sections show the slope of the island to be steeper 

 off the north face than on the south side of the island. 



On the southwest face off Long Bar 1,250 fathoms is found at a dis- 

 tance of five miles from the 100 fathom line, and the 1,000 fathom line is 

 only two miles from the 100 fathom line. Northeast from the East 

 Ledge Flats 1,2G0 fathoms is found at a distance of five and a half miles 

 from the 100 fathom line. South-southeast from the Southwest Breaker 

 960 fathoms is found two and a half miles from the 100 fathom line. 



The distance of the 100 fathom line from the sea edge of the ledge 

 flats varies but little, thtmgh it is true that off the south shore it is 

 nearer as a whole, and it comes to within one mile and a quarter of the 

 shore off Castle Harbor, and on the north side it is as much as three 

 and a half miles from the Nortli Ledge Flats, and east off Mills Breaker 

 it is nearly five miles (Plate 1.). 



The Bermudas (Plate I.) form a hook-F<haped line of islands, the main 

 island running northeast from Gibbs Hill to Castle Harbor, which is 



