316 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA, AND ITS METEOROLOGY. 



slowly-drifting creatures to accomplish. And so the anti-biotics 

 maintain (§ 603) that their doctrine is established.* 



* In a paper upon the organic life-forms from unexpected great depths of the 

 Mediterranean, obtained by Captain Spratt from deep-sea soundings between Malta 

 and Crete, in 1857, and read before the Berlin Academy, November 27, 1857, 

 Ehrenbcrg said, " Especially striking among all the forms of the deep are the 

 Phytolitharia, of which fifty-two in number are found. It would not be strange if 

 these fifty-two forms were spongoliths, since we expect to find sponge in the sea. 

 But a large number, not less than twenty kinds of PJiytolitharia, are fresh-water 

 and land forms. Hence the question arises, How came these forms into those 

 depths in the middle of the sea ? 



" Naturally one looks at first to the Nile and the coasts ; but the sea current 

 carries the turbid Nile water eastward ; for tlie current, according to Captain 

 Smyth, especially in the middle of the sea, not only in the Levant, but also in the 

 southern edge, is clearly a constant eastw^ardly one. Besides, there are among the 

 forms some northern ones — e. g., Eunotia triodon, Campijlodiscus clypeus, and many 

 gallionella. This peculiarity may, perhaps, indicate a lower return current, 

 hitherto observed only at Gibraltar, which probably brings into this basin the forms 

 from the northern European rocks. Thus, for instance, the Danube may bring the 

 Swiss forms in that circulation. But, on the other hand, a highly striking agree- 

 ment with the forms of the ' trade-wind dust ' is not to be overlooked. 



" In reference to the question of permanent life in these most recent deep-sea 

 materials, it may be observed, that the forms which we find are astonishingly well 

 preserved, and in very large proportion, sometimes forming the principal mass of 

 the earthy bottom. 



"The striking fact, moreover, that every one wdio has the opportunity to com- 

 pare accurately the microscopic forms of the whole land and sea under great 

 variety of circumstance does, out of even the smallest specimens of the bottom, 

 deduce so much that is new and peculiar to him, is no light testimony to show 

 that tiic depth is not merely a collection of rubbisli of the dead suriace-like, how- 

 ever much there must be of fragments which naturally and undoubtedly deposii 

 themselves there. I have considered this final remark necessary, because the 

 Distinguished Sea-knower in Washington, often so kindly supplying and instiiict- 

 ing me with material, has recently, in a report on Sub-oceanic Geography, New 

 York, January 8, 1857, page 5, and yet more in detail in a late private letter, ex- 

 pressed a view opposite to that here laid down by me, in wbicb, lio\Yever, I can- 

 not coincide, for tlie reasons given above." 



As tliese sheets are passing through the press (Nov. 22, 1860), a copy of 

 Dr. Wallaeh's " Notes on the Presence of Animal Life in Vast Depths of the 

 Sea,'' dated " Off Eockall, Nov. 8, 18G0," has been placed in my hands. From 

 this interesting monograph it appears that Captain Sir Leopold M'Clintock, 

 during his recent survey, in H. M, steamer the " Bulldog," of the telegraphic 

 route via Greenland, brought up living star-fish adhering to the deep-sea line. 



"In soundhig," says the doctor, p. 22, "not quite midway between Capo 

 Farewell and Eockall, in 126 fathoms, whilst the sounding apparatus brouglit up 

 an ample specimen of coarse gritty-looking matter, consisting of about 95 per 

 cent, of clean Glohigerina-slieWs, a number of star-fishes, belonging to the genus 

 Ophiocoma, came up, adherent to the lowest 50 fathoms of the deep-sea line 

 employed." 



These star-fishes were alive. They continued to move about for upwards of a 

 quarter of an hour. The " red and light-pink coloured tints " being as clear and 

 brilliant, says the doctor, as seen in their congeners inhabiting its shallow icaters 

 uliere the sun's rays penetrate freely. 



One of the animals was dissected, which was found to differ in no respect 



