352 THE CANADIAN NATtTRALIST. [Vol. yi. 



Montreal, and in consequence of the kindness of the Hon. Peter 

 Mitchell, Minister of Marine and Fisheries for the Dominion 

 (who not only gave me facilities for dredging or board Govern- 

 ment vessels, but also caused sufl&cient rope to be provided for 

 the purpose), depths of from 50 to 250 fathoms were successfully 

 examined. The greatest depth in the Grulf, to the west of the 

 Island of Newfoundland, as given in the Admiralty charts, is 313 

 fathoms. 



The cruise lasted five weeks, the first three of which were spent 

 on board the Government shooner La Canadienne, and the re- 

 maining two on the Stella Maris. The area examined includes 

 an entire circuit round the Island of Anticosti, and extends from 

 Point des Monts (on the north shore of the St. Lawrence) to a 

 spot about half way between the east end of Anticosti and the 

 Bird Kocks. As these investigations were almost necessarily 

 subordinate to the special duties on which the schooners were 

 engaged, in several cases the same ground was gone over twice. 



The bottom at great depths generally consists of a tough clayey 

 mud, the surface of which is occasionally dotted with large stones. 

 So far as I could judge, using an ordinary thermometer, the 

 average temperature of this mud was about 37° to 38° Fahren- 

 heit, at least on the north shore. In the deepest parts of the 

 river, on the south shore, between Anticosti and part of the Gaspe 

 Peninsula, the thermometer registered a few degrees higher. 

 Sand dredged on the north shore in 25 fathoms also made the 

 mercury sink to 37° to 38°. 



Many interesting Foraminifera and Sponges were obtained, but 

 as yet only a few of these have been examined with any care. A 

 number of Pennatulae were dredged south of Anticosti ; the genus 

 has not been previously recorded, so far as I am aware, as inhabit- 

 ing the Atlantic coast of America. They were found in mud, at 

 depths of 160 and 200 fathoms, and it [seems probable that this 

 species, at least, is sedentary, and that it lives with a portion of 

 the base of the stem rooted in the soft mud. Actinia dianthus 

 and Tealia crassicornis were frequent in 200 to 250 fathoms. 

 The Echinoderms characteristic of the greater depths are a Sjpa- 

 tangus (specifically distinct from the common British species), 

 Ctenodicus crispatus, OphioglypJia Sarcii (very large), Ophia- 

 cantha spimdosa, and Amphiura Holhollii. Marine worms, of 

 many genera and species, were both numerous and fine. Among 

 the more interesting of theCrustacea were Nj/mphon grossipes (J) 



