230 GENERAL HISTOEY OF THE INFUSOEIA. 



SO often found scattered over the bed of the ocean, as well in the li\dng as in 

 the dead state, without any Algae near, whereto they can adhere. 



The extraordinary abundance of Foraminifcrous shells in the sand of some 

 sea-shores has been long observed. Plancus, in 1739, counted, with the aid 

 of a low magnifying power, 6000 individuals in an ounce of sand from Eimini, 

 on the Adriatic; and D'Orbigny states that 3,840,000 exist in an equal 

 quantity of sand from the Antilles. Schultze also counted 500 shells of lihi- 

 zopoda in ^th of a grain of sand collected from the Mole of Gaeta, which had 

 pre\'iously been passed through a sieve and separated fi'om all particles above 

 yi^th of an inch in size. 



Ehrenberg describes finding Pohjthdlamia both on the surface of the sea 

 and also at the bottom, even at a depth of 12,000 feet. From these great 

 depths they are procured by soundings ; the lead, after being coated mth 

 grease at the bottom, brings up attached to it the small particles of sand and 

 other matters mth which it comes into contact at the sea-bottom. Numerous 

 such soimdings were taken by Sir J. Iloss in his Antarctic expedition, and 

 have been practised by others in different regions. Dr. Bailey records the 

 results of a series of deep soimdings made in the Atlantic, over a considerable 

 geograjihical area, from latitude 42° 4' to lat. 54° 1 7', and depths varying 

 from 1080 to 2000 fathoms. " None of the soundings," ho states, " contain a 

 particle of gravel, sand, or other recognized unorganized mineral matter. 

 They all agree in being almost entii'ely made up of the shells of Foraminifera. 

 .... But neither the smface-water nor that of any depth . . . collected close 

 to the places where the soundings were made, contained a trace of any hard- 

 shelled animalcules." Schultze is unable to receive Ehrenberg's statement of 

 finding shells floating on the sm^face of the sea, seeing that they naturally 

 sink in water. Still he admits that in shallow water they may be suspended 

 by the tossing of the waves, and that they may float on the surface attached to 

 sea- weed torn from the bottom, or to other floating substances. He likewise, 

 and, we think (judging from the laws of distribution of organic life at different 

 depths as pointed out by the late Prof. Edward Forbes), very justly, demurs 

 to Ehrenberg's conclusion, that the Polythalamian shells fished up fi'om the 

 great depths cited, and others approaching them, lived at those depths, and 

 had become empty by speedy decomposition of their animal contents. At 

 depths far less considerable, we believe all organic life ceases, and should 

 consider the Foraminifcrous shells there found to have been drifted from other 

 less profound places by currents in the ocean. Prof. Bailey also started the 

 question, whether the Foraminifera found at the bottom of the sea actually 

 lived there, or were borne there by submarine currents, but admitted that 

 these and other like questions could not be at j^resent decided. What, however, 

 is veiy remarkable, is that the species " whose shells now compose the bottom 

 of the Atlantic Ocean have not been found li^dng in the surface waters, nor in 

 shallow waters along the shore. It is but fair, also, to state that Mr. Jeftreys 

 has dredged living Polytlialamia from a dei)th of 108 fathoms (648 feet). 

 So far as Schultze' s researches go, they prove a very Hmited geographical 

 distribution of some species of PolythaJamia. Thus, he has never foimd the 

 Rotalia Veneta elsewhere than at Venice and Muggia, near Trieste, whilst 

 the Polystomella strigilata, of Ancona, is altogether absent at Venice and 

 Trieste. Nodosaridoi, which are common enough at Rimini, are sought in 

 vain at Ancona, close by, whilst Rotalia Beccarii occurs at both those places. 

 So Peneroplis ])lanata is found in the sand on the Istrian coast, from Citta 

 Nuova to Pola, but is absent at Trieste, Venice, and Ancona. Similar illus- 

 trations might, says Schultze, be multiplied, to show the considerable diversity 

 of local fauna. 



