i893. ARE OCEAN DEPTHS PERMANENT ? 187 



Fisher, Jukes, and many others that the great depths are mostly 

 covered with volcanic products, with lava and ashes forming immense 

 plains and overlain eventually by the deposits of the abyss ; but I see 

 no reason why parts of the ocean or even of the dry land may not 

 to-morrow sink to form new depths, or why we should believe that 

 all the great ocean basins have been continuously covered by water 

 since panthalassic times. So far as the Atlantic is concerned, there 

 even exists some evidence to the contrary. 



But all this is unripe fruit. Our scholars will some day know 

 more than their masters do now ; so let us patiently continue our 

 work and remain friends. 



Edw. Suess. 



