592 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the FJagellata, aud the Tintimia among the Ciliata. Both groups, aud 

 particularly the NoctilucidcCy beloug to the neritic phxukton. They occur 

 in the oceanic only where the coast water flows in (0, pp. 679, 750, 933). 



The common XoctUuea miUaris aud some rehited species sometimes 

 cover the surface of the coast waters in such masses as to form a tliick 

 reddish-yellow slime, often like "tomato soup," and at night are 

 brightly luminous. The Tintinnoidw ( Tintinnus, Dictyocysta^ CodoneUa) 

 appear in smaller quantities, but often in great numbers. Some forms 

 of these elegant Ciliata are oceanic. 



Tlialamophora {Foraminifera). — The Thalanio2)hora, often and very 

 properly called Foraminifera, were once generally regarded as ben- 

 thonic. Xew observations first showed that a part of these are plank- 

 tonic, and through the comprehensive series of observations by the 

 ChaUemjer the abundant occurrence of these pelagic Foraminifera and 

 their great part in the formation of that most important sediment, the 

 Olohigerina ooze, was first established. All these Thalamophora of the 

 plankton belong to the peculiar perforated Polythalamia, to the family 

 of the Globiyerinidw; only OrhitHna (provided it is independent) to the 

 Monoihalamia. The number of their genera (8-10) and species (20-25) 

 is relatively small, but the number of individuals is inconceivably 

 great. By far the most important and numerous belong to the genera 

 Glohifierina, Orhulina, and Fulvimdina; after these Splucroidina and 

 Pullenia. They occur everywhere in the open ocean in nnmberless 

 myriads. J. Murray could often from a boat scoop up thick masses of 

 them with a glass, and never fished with the tow net in 200 fathoms 

 without obtaining some (5, p. 534). A few forms {Hastigerina and 

 Cymhalopora) show more local increase in numbers, while others are 

 rare everywhere {ChilostomeUa, Candeina). In the equatorial counter- 

 currents of the Western Pacific, between the equator and the Caroline 

 Islands, the Challenger fonnd "great banks of pelagic foraminifera. 

 On one day an unheard-of quantity of Pulvinulina was taken in the 

 tow nets; on the following day they were entirely absent, and Ful- 

 lenia was extraordinarily abundant." These important observations 

 by Murray I can confirm from my own experience in the Atlantic and 

 Indian oceans* (comp. 3, pp. 160, 188). 



*The important relations of these pelagic Polythalamia to the rest of the fauna of 

 the phmktou on the one side, as well as its importance in the formation of the "Globi- 

 gerina ooze" on the other, has been expressly stated by Murray (6, j). 919). I agree 

 completely with him in the view that these oceanic (ilobit/crinidfc are true pelagic; 

 rhizopods, which in part are found swimming only at the surface or at slight depths 

 (autopelagic), in part at zones of dilferent depths (zonary), hut they are not ben- 

 thonic. The enormous sediment of "Glohigerina ooze" is composed of the sunken 

 calcareous shells of the dead pelagic animals. On the other hand, the benthonic 

 thalamophorcs, living partly abyssal, on the bottom of the deep sea, partly littoral, 

 creeping among the forests of seaweed on the coasts, are of other sj^ecies and genera. 

 They develop a much greater variety of ibrin. The neritic thalamophorcs found 

 swimming in the coast waters are in part .again characterized l)y various forms. 



