192 THE ATLANTIC. [ CHAP. III. 
ly smooth and uniform clay-mud such as had been brought up 
in the sounding-tube, and that the greater part had been wash- 
ed out in hauling up. A small fish, as yet undetermined, but 
with the peculiarity of having eyes so small as to be nearly mi- 
croscopic, was found in one of the corners of the dredge-bag. 
It is very possible, however, that it was taken into the dredge 
on the way up. We had been struck for some time past with 
the singular absence of the higher forms of life. Not a bird 
was to be seen from morning till night. A few kittiwakes (La- 
rus tridactylus) followed the ship for the first few days after 
we left Teneriffe, but even these had disappeared. A single 
petrel (Thalassidroma pelagica) was seen one day from one of 
the boats on a towing-net excursion, but we had not yet met 
with one of the southern sea-birds. For the last day or two 
some of the large sea-mammals and fishes had been visible. A 
large grampus (Orca gladiator) had been moving round the 
ship, and apparently keeping up with it. Some sharks hung 
about, seeking what they might devour, but we had not suc- 
ceeded in catching any of them. Lovely dolphins (Coryphena 
hippurus) passed, in their varying iridescent coloring, from the 
shadow of the ship into the sunshine, and glided about like liv- 
ing patches of rainbow. Flying-fish (Zzocetus evolans) became 
more abundant, evidently falling a prey to the dolphins, which 
are readily deceived by a rude imitation of one of them, a white 
spinning bait, when the ship is going rapidly through the water. 
The following is the result of a temperature sounding at in- 
tervals of 50 fathoms from the surface to 800: 
Surfaces. c aseae sss ocreence role: 450 fathoms: . .s42¢.0.0e 0) wes 
HOMMathomses 0. ec aere eee 500 ee ay iieds} 
100 st alah oleisete eters mee Laval: 550 te soe 
150 eee ce ce Nea Te 600 ee 22650 
200 “ SU aCe ee LO 650 ne Aree 
250 ce dite Riaitie siete Ona 700 Bf . 4°6 
300 Se sg Neches shale Stanetetes 12 °3 800 se sea siete cena 
350 ‘ wate ts ete iviane PL Ose 2675 “ bottoms. <2. sn lene 
400 se Aan | atew =o: 
