5o8 LIFE IN THE DEEP SEA. 



level in cold or arctic regions, are found on high mountains in 

 temperate or tropical latitudes ; so in the case of the deep sea, 

 certain animals which in high northern or southern latitudes 

 exist in comparatively shallow water, occur at great depths near 

 the equator. Again, just as Alpine floras consist to a con- 

 siderable extent of modifications of forms growing at lower 

 levels in other regions of the earth, altered somewhat in non- 

 essentials to suit an Alpine existence, rather than of ancient 

 and isolated forms greatly differing from those of the lowlands ; 

 so in the case of the deep-sea fauna, hardly any of the animals 

 discovered as composing it are of any very important or widely 

 aberrant zoological structure. 



Just as some members of Alpine floras are dwarfed by the 

 climate to which they are exposed, so does it occur in the case 

 of some of the deep-sea animals : but by no means in that of 

 all, for some forms seem even to increase in size, through 

 their existence in the great depths. A deep-sea Cerianthus, 

 a Sea Anemone living in a tube, already described in this 

 work,* may be cited as an instance of dwarfing. Pycnogonids 

 may be referred to as examples of increase of size in great 

 depths. We dredged in deep water gigantic examples of these 

 latter animals, measuring more than a foot between the tips of 

 the legs. Nearly all Crustacea seem to increase in size in the 

 deep sea ; we dredged large specimens of Scrolls and other 

 large Isopods, and large Scalpellums ; the Decapod Crustacea 

 obtained were however none of them as large as the larger 

 shallow-water forms. 



One coral, Bathyadls {FiiHgln) symmetrica, ranges from a 

 depth of 30 fathoms to one of 2,900 fathoms, and varies very 

 much in size. No very large specimens were obtained in small 

 depths ; but very small adult specimens were found in great 

 depths, and no direct connection between increase of depth 

 and increase in dimensions was able to be determined in this 

 case, though the great number of specimens obtained rendered 

 the case a good one for examination with regard to the ques- 

 tion under consideration. 



In many respects, the zoological results of the deep-sea 

 dredgings were rather disappointing. Most enthusiastic expec- 

 tations were held by many naturalists, and such were especially 

 put forward by the late Prof. Agassiz,t who had hopes of 

 finding almost all important fossil forms existing in life and 

 vigour at great depths. Such hopes were doomed to dis- 



* See p. 353. 



f " A Letter concerning Deep-sea Dredging, addressed to Prof. 

 Benjamin Pierce, Superintendent of the U.S. Coast Survey," Ann- & 

 Mag, Nat. Hist. 1872, p. 169. 



