THE DEPTH AND MARINE DEPOSITS OF THE 

 PACIFIC OCEAN. 



> INTRODUCTION. 



Op all the additions to our knowledge of the depth and deposits of the 

 Pacific Ocean during recent years, the most important are probably those 

 acquired by Dr. Alexander Agassiz during his various cruises in the Pacific. 

 Before proceeding to a detailed description of the samples of the deposits 

 submitted to us for examination, it seems desirable to bring together the 

 various accounts published in Dr. Alexander Agassiz's preliminary reports, 

 as these show the observations made at the time of collection during the 

 course of these expeditions. 



First Expedition. — Dr. Alexander Agassiz's first expedition in the Pacific, 

 in the U. S. Fish Commission steamer "Albatross," in the year 1891, con- 

 sisted of three short cruises off the west coast of Central America. The 

 first cruise was from Panama to Point Mala, thence to Cocos Island, thence 

 to Malpelo Island, and back to Panama. The second cruise was from 

 Panama to Galera Point, thence to the southern face of the Galapagos, and 

 thence to Acapulco. The third cruise was from Acapulco, up the Gulf of 

 California, as far as Guaymas. Dr. Agassiz published a general sketch of 

 the expedition,' from which the following remarks on the character of the 

 bottom-deposits are extracted : — 



"We dredged frequently in most characteristic Globigerina ooze. On 

 one occasion the trawl came up literally filled with masses of a species of 

 Khabdammina closely allied to R. lineata. 



" It is interesting to note that, at two localities not far from the coast 

 off Mariato Point, we came across patches of modern greensand similar in 



1 Bull. Mus. Comp. ZoiiL, Vol. XXIIL, No. 1, 1892. 



