From the Admiralty Islands to Japan. 109 



in this basin by the English expedition, the results of which 

 show perfect agreement with those of the German expedition, 

 making allowance for the difference of dates. 



The position of Station 215, with a depth of 2500 fathoms, 

 is exceptional. Placed in the centre between the Sea of Papua 

 in the east, the Molucca Passage in the south, the Celebes Sea 

 in the west, and the portion of the Pacific extending from the 

 Philippines to the Pelew Islands in the north, it need cause no 

 surprise that its isotherms should mark a considerable dis- 

 turbance in the distribution of temperature, due to the presence 

 of several currents of different temperature, direction, and origin. 

 They give evidence of a colder current between the surface and 

 100 fathoms, and of a warmer current between 100 fathoms and 

 250 fathoms. The former may be traced to the north-west, and 

 is probably a current from the east coast of Mindanao, the latter 

 to the south-west and the Molucca Passage. 



The remaining stations in this section belong to the thermal 

 area of the Sea of Papua. 



Section from the Admiralty Islands to Japan (Plate 17, 

 Table XI.). — This section may be divided, both geographically 

 and as regards distribution of temperature, into three parts. 

 The first and most southern part, from Station 220 to Station 

 224 (including also Stations 216-220 of the previous section, 

 Plate 16), forms the western extremity of the Sea of Papua, being 

 bounded in the south by the latter continent, and in the north by 

 the line of the Caroline and Pelew Islands. The second part, 

 from Station 224 to Station 228, traverses the eastern limits of the 

 sea situated between the Philippines and the Mariana or Ladrone 

 Islands, and between the Pelew Islands and Japan. This sea, 

 which fills up a deep basin separated from the rest of the Pacific 

 by the line of islands extending from the Caroline Islands to Japan, 

 has as yet received no name, and might appropriately be called 

 the " Sea of Magallanes," after the discoverer of the Mariana 



