﻿782 
  EEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [2 
  4 
  J 
  

  

  Iii 
  these 
  red 
  clays 
  there 
  occur, 
  in 
  addition, 
  the 
  greatest 
  number 
  of 
  

   cosmic 
  metallic 
  spherules, 
  or 
  chondres, 
  the 
  nature 
  and 
  character 
  of 
  

   which 
  we 
  have 
  pointed 
  out 
  elsewhere. 
  We 
  merely 
  inuicate 
  their 
  pres- 
  

   ence 
  here, 
  as 
  we 
  will 
  support 
  our 
  conclusions 
  by 
  a 
  reference 
  to 
  their 
  

   distribution. 
  

  

  Reviewing, 
  then, 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  oceanic 
  deposits, 
  we 
  may 
  sum- 
  

   marize 
  thus: 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  terrigenous 
  deposits 
  — 
  the 
  blue 
  muds, 
  green 
  muds 
  and 
  sands, 
  

   red 
  muds, 
  volcanic 
  muds 
  and 
  sands, 
  coral 
  muds 
  and 
  sands 
  — 
  are 
  met 
  with 
  

   in 
  those 
  regions 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  nearest 
  to 
  land. 
  With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  

   the 
  volcanic 
  muds 
  and 
  sands 
  and 
  coral 
  muds 
  and 
  sands 
  around 
  oceanic 
  

   islands, 
  these 
  deposits 
  are 
  found 
  only 
  lying 
  along 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  con- 
  

   tinents 
  and 
  continental 
  islands 
  and 
  in 
  inclosed 
  and 
  partially 
  inclosed 
  

   seas. 
  

  

  (2) 
  The 
  organic 
  oozes 
  and 
  red 
  clay 
  are 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  abysmal 
  re. 
  

   gions 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  basins. 
  A 
  Pteropod 
  ooze 
  is 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  tropical 
  and 
  

   subtropical 
  regions 
  in 
  depths 
  less 
  than 
  1,500 
  fathoms, 
  a 
  Globigerina 
  

   ooze 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  regions 
  between 
  the 
  depths 
  of 
  500 
  and 
  2,800 
  fathoms, 
  

   a 
  Radiolarian 
  ooze 
  in 
  the 
  central 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  at 
  depths 
  greater 
  

   than 
  2,500 
  fathoms, 
  a 
  Diatom 
  ooze 
  in 
  the 
  Southern 
  Ocean 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  

   latitude 
  of 
  45° 
  south, 
  a 
  red 
  clay 
  anywhere 
  within 
  the 
  latitudes 
  of 
  45° 
  

   north 
  and 
  south 
  at 
  depths 
  greater 
  than 
  2,200 
  fathoms. 
  

  

  Conclusions. 
  — 
  All 
  the 
  facts 
  and 
  details 
  enumerated 
  in 
  the 
  foregoing 
  

   pages 
  point 
  to 
  certain 
  conclusions 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  considerable 
  geological 
  

   interest, 
  and 
  which 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  warranted 
  by 
  the 
  present 
  state 
  of 
  our 
  

   investigations. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  debris 
  carried 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  land 
  accumulates 
  

   at 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  before 
  reaching 
  the 
  abysmal 
  regions 
  of 
  the 
  

   ocean. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  in 
  exceptional 
  cases 
  that 
  the 
  finest 
  terrigenous 
  materi- 
  

   als 
  are 
  transported 
  several 
  hundred 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  shores. 
  In 
  place 
  of 
  

   layers 
  formed 
  of 
  pebbles 
  and 
  clastic 
  elements 
  with 
  grains 
  of 
  considerable 
  

   dimensions, 
  which 
  play 
  so 
  large 
  a 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  composition 
  of 
  emerged 
  

   lands, 
  the 
  great 
  areas 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  basins 
  are 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  microscopic 
  

   remains 
  of 
  pelagic 
  organisms, 
  or 
  by 
  the 
  deposits 
  coming 
  from 
  the 
  alter- 
  

   ation 
  of 
  volcanic 
  products. 
  The 
  distinctive 
  elements 
  that 
  appear 
  in 
  the 
  

   river 
  and 
  coast 
  sediments 
  are, 
  properly 
  speaking, 
  wanting 
  in 
  the 
  great 
  

   depths 
  far 
  distant 
  from 
  the 
  coasts. 
  To 
  such 
  a 
  degree 
  is 
  this 
  the 
  case 
  

   that 
  in 
  a 
  great 
  number 
  of 
  soundings, 
  from 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific, 
  for 
  

   example, 
  we 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  distinguish 
  mineral 
  particles 
  on 
  

   which 
  the 
  mechanical 
  action 
  of 
  water 
  had 
  left 
  its 
  imprint, 
  and 
  quartz 
  

   is 
  so 
  rare 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  absent. 
  It 
  is 
  sufficient 
  to 
  indicate 
  

   these 
  facts 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  make 
  apparent 
  the 
  profound 
  differences 
  which 
  

   separate 
  the 
  deposits 
  of 
  the 
  abysmal 
  areas 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  basins 
  from 
  

   the 
  series 
  of 
  rocks 
  in 
  the 
  geological 
  formations. 
  As 
  regards 
  the 
  vast 
  

   deposits 
  of 
  red 
  clay, 
  with 
  its 
  manganese 
  concretions, 
  its 
  zeolites, 
  cosmic 
  

   dust, 
  and 
  remains 
  of 
  vertebrates, 
  and 
  the 
  organic 
  oozes 
  which 
  are 
  

  

  