THE BASIN AND BED OF THE ATLANTIC. 317 



Bailey, of West Point — eminent microscopists both. The latter 

 thus responded : — 



587. Baileys letter. — " I am greatly obliged to you for the 

 deep soundings you sent me last Aveek, and I have looked at them 

 with great interest. They are exactly what I have wanted to get 

 hold of. The bottom of the ocean at the depth of more than two 

 miles I hardly hoped ever to have a chance of examining; yet,, 

 thanks to Brooke's contrivance, we have it clean and free from 

 grease, so that it can at once be put under the microscope. I was 

 greatly delighted to find that all these deep soundings are filled, 

 with microscopic shells ; not a particle of sand or gravel exists 

 in them. They are chiefly made up of perfect little calcareous 

 shells (Foraminifera), and contain, also, a number of silicious 

 shells (Diatomaceas). It is not probable that these animals lived 

 at the depths where these shells are found, but I rather think that 

 they inhabit the waters near the surface ; and when they die, 

 their shells settle to the bottom. With reference to this point, I 

 shall be very glad to examine bottles of water from various 

 depths which were brought home by the Dolphin, and any similar 

 materials, either ' bottom,' or water from other localities. I shall 

 study them carefully. . . . The results already obtained are of 

 very great interest, and have many important bearings on 

 geology and zoology. ... I hope you will induce as many as 

 possible to collect soundings with Brooke's lead, in all parts of 

 the world, so that we can map out the animalculae. as you have 

 the whales. Get jovly whalers also to collect mud from pancake 

 ice, etc., in the polar regions ; this is always full of interesting^ 

 microscopic forms." 



588. Specimens from the coral sea. — Lieutenant Brooke, of the 

 North Pacific Exploring Expedition, procured specimens of the 

 bottom from the depth of 2150 fathoms in the coral sea, lat. lo'^ S.^ 

 long. 162° E. With regard to these, the admirable and lamented 

 Bailey wrote in 1855, " You may be sure I was not backwards 

 in taking a look at the specimens you sent me, which, from their 

 locality, promised to be so interesting. The sounding from 2150 

 fathoms, although very small in quantity, is not so bad in quality, 

 yielding representatives of most of the great groups of micro- 

 scopic organisms usually found in marine sediments. The pre- 

 dominant forms are silicious spicules of sponges. Various forms 

 of these occur : some long and spindle-shaped, or acicular ; others 

 pin-headed ; some three-spined, etc., etc. The Diatomes (silicious. 



