INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 47 



sanitary standpoint, as it, together with the ventilation, prevents the 

 "sweating," which is so objectionable inmost iron ships, and keeps 

 the berth deck dry. 



The water, which is distilled by the Baird apparatus, is all that can 

 be desired, 



REPORT ON BOTTOM SPECIMENS. 



[By N. B. Miller, Assistant in Scientific Department.] 



Having made a microscopical examination of each specimen brought 

 up from the bottom by the sounding cup during the cable survey 

 between Monterey Bay and Honolulu, I have to report that I found the 

 specimens from the bay to consist of fine sand and mud, mixed with 

 vegetable matter washed from the shore into the water. When station 

 31, latitude 30° 39' 30" N., longitude 122° 41' W., in 1,424 fathoms, was 

 reached, the sand disappeared and nothing but sticky brown mud was 

 brought up. This continued until station 30, latitude 36° 28' N., longi- 

 tude 123° 44' W., 2,061 fathoms, when the first ooze was encountered; 

 it was gray in color and contained a few foraminifera. These conditions 

 remained the same until, at station 40, latitude 30° 09' X., longitude 

 124° 55' 30" W., in 2,434 fathoms, the ooze became mixed in color — 

 brown and gray — containing few shells. From station 44, latitude 35° 

 47' 30" N., longitude 12()0 05' W., to station 72, latitude 33° 12' N". 

 and longitude 133° 34' 30" W., the depths from 3,566 to 2,895 fathoms, 

 the ooze was of a dark-brown color and contained very few shells. At 

 these great depths, the foraminifera had probably sunk deeper into the 

 soft ooze than the specimen cup penetrated. 



At station 73, latitude 33° 08' N. and longitude 133° 46' W., depth 

 2,678 fathoms, brown mud was again found; and at station 74, lati- 

 tude 33° 04' 30" N., longitude 133° 56' 30" W., in 2,670 fathoms, the 

 specimen cup brought up brown mud containing small pieces of lava. 

 Brown mud and lava continued until station 81, latitude 32'^ 44' 30" N., 

 longitude 134° 58' W., depth 2,014 fathoms, when the cup brought up 

 nothing but lava, there being no sign of nnid having been in the cup; 

 the largest piece of lava weighed a half ounce. The shot must have 

 struck a large piece and shattered it, the specimen cup becoming 

 detached before the mud was reached. From here to station 246, lati- 

 tude 23° 11' N., longitude 154° 34' W., 1,783 fathoms, the character of 

 the bottom remained the same, brown ooze containing few foraminifera. 

 At this station the color changed to light gray, the ooze containing 

 more foraminifera than had been found in any specimen previously 

 examined. At the next station, 247, in latitude 23° 05' N. and longi- 

 tude 1540 45' 30" W., 2,411 fathoms, the color of specimen was brown 

 and continued so up to station 256, latitude 22° 18' N., longitude 155° 

 58' 30" W,, 2,542 fathoms, when brown mud was again found; as we 

 a]iproached the island of Oahu, it became mixed with sand and sponge 

 spicules. 



