290 _ Royal Society :—On the Nature of the 
nounced, while perfect shells of Globigerina almost disappear, 
fragments become smaller, and calcareous mud, structureless and 
in a fine state of division, is in greatly preponderating proportion” 
(‘ Depths of the Sea, p. 410). These facts seem to me to mark 
very strongly the distinction between the living surface-layer and 
the dead sub-surface layer, and to show that there is nothing in 
the condition of the Deep Sea that is likely to prevent or even to 
retard the decomposition of the dead sarcode bodies of Globigerine. 
We know that oxygen is present in Oceanic water, even to its 
abyssal depths, in sufficient proportion for the maintenance of 
animal life; and what suffices for this, must be adequate to 
promote the decomposition of organic matter. There is, moreover, 
a significant indication of the undecomposed condition of the 
sarcode bodies of the Globigerine of the surface-layer, in the fact 
that they serve as food to various higher animals which live on the 
same bottom. This was first pointed out by Dr. Wallich, who 
found that the contents of the stomachs of the Ophiocome brought 
up in his 1260-fathoms sounding consisted of a number of fresh- 
looking Globigerine more or less broken up, minute yellow amor- 
phous particles, and a few oil-globules (‘ North-Atlantic Sea-bed,’ 
p. 145). And I have subsequently verified his statement in many 
other cases *. 
It seems to me clear, from the foregoing facts, that the onus 
probandi rests on those who maintain that the Globigerine do 
not live on the bottom; and such proof is altogether wanting. 
The most cogent evidence in favour of that proposition would be 
furnished by the capture, floating in the upper waters, of the 
large thick-shelled specimens which are at present only known as 
having been brought up from the sea-bed. And the capture of 
such specimens would only prove that even in this condition the 
Globigerine can float; it would not show that they cannot also live 
on the bottom. 
That the Globigerine not only live, but propagate, on the Sea- 
bottom, is indicated by the presence (as already stated) of enor- 
mous multitudes of very young specimens in the water immediately 
overlying it. And thus all we at present know of the life-history 
of this most important type seems to lead to the conclusion, that 
whilst in the earlier stages of their existence they are inhabitants 
of the upper waters, they sink to the bottom on reaching adult age, 
in consequence of the increasing thickness of their shells, that they 
propagate there (whether by gemmation or sexual generation is not 
known), and that the young, rising to the surface, repeat the same 
history. 
I now proceed to show that the relation between the surface- 
fauna and the bottom-deposit is by no means so constant as Prof. 
Wyville Thomson and Mr. Murray affirm it to be. 
* Thus Man indirectly draws sustenance from the Globigerine; for the Cod 
which he fishes on the Faroe Banks chiefly live on the Ophiocome which swarm 
there, these again on the Globigerine, whilst the Globigering seem to draw 
their sustenance from the organic matter universally diffused through sea- 
water, making it a very dilute broth! 
