CHAP. II. ] FROM PORTSMOUTH TO TENERIFFE. 149 
ably larger. All the bases of the cones had been beveled off 
toward their outer aspect, and they had evidently been used 
for vigorous locomotion over firm ground. The large areolz 
and spine-muscles were again present, and the object of their 
excessive development was now obvious. 
In Phormosomea uranus there is but little difference in char- 
acter between the upper and the lower surfaces of the test, and 
the species thus holds a place intermediate between the genera 
Phormosoma and Calveria. 
January 31st.— The trawl was put over in 2125 fathoms, 
about midway between Cape St. Vincent and Madeira. Since 
our first essay with the trawl we had been employing it at 
gradually increasing depths, and our experience was that on 
perfectly smooth ground without rocks it worked with even 
greater certainty than the dredge, always falling in the right 
position, and scarcely ever fouling in any way. The operation 
took a little longer than dredging, for the trawl, being of lighter 
material and exposing a much larger surface to the water, takes 
somewhat longer to go down, and offers greater resistance in 
coming up. The strain, measured by the accumulator, is, how- 
ever, probably not greater; for as the trawl is not constructed 
to bring up the material of the bottom in any quantity, the 
weight of its contents is usually much less. 
The number of living animals certainly diminishes, after we 
reach a certain point, with increasing depth; and even the 
wide-mouthed trawl rarely brings up a heavy freight from 
depths beyond 2000 fathoms. Such captures, however, fre- 
quently countervail their scantiness by their interest and value. 
This haul, for example, gave us, with a few star-fishes and 
holothurids, a fine specimen of the “clustered sea-polyp,” Um- 
bellularia Grenlandica (Fig. 86), an animal of great interest, 
historical as well as scientific. Twelve gigantic aleyonarian 
polyps, each with eight long fringed arms, terminate in a close 
cluster a calcareous stem 90 centimetres high. 
