318 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA, AXD ITS METEOROLOGY. 



from the bottom of "blue water" in the narrow Coral Sea, the 

 broad Pacific, and the long Atlantic, and they all tell the same 

 story, namely, that the bed of the ocean is a vast cemetery. The 



which I hope soon to publish. The specimens examined by me were as follows, 

 viz. : 



"No. 1. Sea bottom, 2700 fathoms ; lat. 56^46' N.;iong. 168° .18' E. ; brought 

 up July 19, 1855, by Lieutenant Brooke, with Brooke's lead. 



" No. 2. Sea bottom, 1700 fathoms ; lat. 60^ 15' N., long. 170^ 53' E. ; brought 

 up as above, July 26, 1855. 



" No. 3. Sea bottom, 900 fathoms ; temperature (deep sea) 32^, Saxton ; lat. 60^^ 

 30' N , long. 175 ^ E. 



" A careful study of the above specimens gave the following results : 



" 1st. All the specimens contain some mineral matter, which diminishes in pro- 

 portion to the deptli, and which consists of minute angular particles of quartz, 

 hornblende, feldspar, and mica. 



" 2nd. In the deepest soundings (No. 1 and No. 2) there is the least mineral mat- 

 ter, tlie organic contents, which are the same in all, predominating, while the 

 reverse is true of No. 3. 



" 3rd. All these specimens oxe'very rich in the silicious shells of the Diatomacea, 

 which are in an admirable state of preservation* frequently with the valves united, 

 and even retaining the remains of tlie soft parts. 



" 4th. Among the Diatoraes the most conspicuous forms are the large and beau- 

 tiful discs of several species of coscinodiscus. There is also, besides many others, 

 a large number of a new species of rhizosolenia, a new syndendrium, a curious 

 species of chpetoceros, with furcate liorns, and a beautiful species of asteromphalus, 

 which I propose to call Asteromphalus Brookei, in honour of Lieutenant Brooke, 

 to whose ingenious device for obtaining deep soundings, and to whose industry and 

 zeal in using it, we are indebted for these and many otlier treasures of the deep. 



" 5th. The specimens contain a considerable number of silicious spicules of 

 sponges, and of the beautiful silicious shells of the polycistinea;. Among the 

 latter I have noticed Gornutella clathrata of Ehrenberg, a form occurring fre- 

 quently in the Atlantic soundings. I have also noticed in all these soundings, and 

 shall liereafter describe and figure, several species of eucyrtidium, halicalyptra, a 

 perichlamidium, a stylodictya, and many others. 



" 6th. I have not been able to detect even a fragment of any of the calcareous 

 shells of the polythalamia. This is remarkable, from the striking contrast it pre- 

 sents to the deep soimdings of the Atlantic, which are chiefly made up of these 

 calcareous forms. This difference cannot be due to temperature, as it is well 

 known that polythalamia are abundant in the Arctic Seas. 



"7th. Tliese deposits of microscopic organisms, in their richness, extent, and the 

 high latitudes at which they occur, resemljle those of the antarctic regions, whose 

 existence has been proved by Ehrenberg, and the occurrence in these northern 

 soundings of species of asteromphalus and clisetoceros is another striking point of re- 

 semblance. 'Tliese genera, however, are not exclusively polar forms, but, as I have 

 recently determined, occur also in tlie Gulf of IMexico and along the Gulf Stream. 



" 8th. The perfect condition of the organism in these soundings, and the fact 

 that some of them retain their soft portions, indicate thai they were very recently 

 in a living condition, but it does not follow that they were living when collected 

 at such immense depths. As among tliem are forms which are known to live 

 along the shores as parasites upon the alga?, etc., it is certain that a portion, at 

 least, have been caiTied by oceanic currents, by drift ice, by animals which liave 

 fed upon them, or by other agents, to their present position. It is hence probable 



