OCEANIA 



equator ; but in detail the con- 

 ditions are modified by the pre- 

 vailing winds, the neighbouring 

 land-masses, and other causes. 

 The temperature conditions below 

 the surface are exceedingly com- 

 plicated, but the essential point 

 is that everywhere, even under the 

 equator, ocean water at great 

 depths is uniformly cold. Below 

 about 2,000 fathoms the tempera- 

 ture is little above 32 F. 



The life of the ocean is a subject 

 of very great interest, and a great 

 elaboration of methods has now 

 made it possible to study in con- 

 siderable detail the organisms of 

 the different depth zones. One of 

 the most interesting points is the 

 proof that the visible rays of the 

 sun penetrate downward to over 

 3,000 ft. Thus, throughout this 

 belt, described as the photic zone, 

 green plants can live. Below the 

 lower limit of sun penetration only 

 bacteria among plants can live ; and 

 thus below a depth of 3,000-4,000 

 ft. all animals must be carnivorous. 



The animals of the ocean are 

 conveniently divided into those 

 which live freely in the water, 

 whether at the surface or in the 

 depths, forming the Plankton, and 

 those which are attached to the 

 sea-floor or crawl over it, forming 

 the Benthos. The bottom-living 

 animals are most numerous in 

 shallow water, and decrease in 

 number and species in the deeper 

 areas, more especially in regions 

 remote from land. This is due to 

 the fact that the shallow water 

 forms have not only the marine 

 plants as a basal food supply, but 

 obtain also much food from the 

 waste of the land, while in the great 

 depths at a distance from land food 

 must be very scanty. See The 

 Depths of the Ocean, J. Murrav 

 and J. Hjort, 1912; The Ocean, 

 J. Murray, 1913. 



Oceania. Collective name for 

 the groups of islands in the South 

 Seas, or S. and Central Pacific Ocean. 



Physically, Oceania includes five 

 groups of islands : (1) The Austra- 

 lasian Festoon stretches from New 

 Guinea to Macquarie Island, and 

 includes the Papuan Islands, New 

 Caledonia, and New Guinea; the 

 natural features of this group are 

 cognate with those of Australia ; 

 the Loyalty Islands are coralline, 

 the Solomons volcanic. (2) The 

 Micronesian Festoon extends from 

 the Caroline Islands to the Friendly 

 Islands and includes Fiji and 

 Samoa ; the islands rest on the 

 outskirts of a submarine platform 

 connected with Australia. (3) The 

 Pelew-Ladrone Festoon includes 

 the Volcano Islands and forms a 

 link along the E. of the China Sea 

 between Japan and the East 



58 ir 



Indies ; it belongs to Asia. (4) The 

 Central Pacific Chain rests on an 

 isolated submarine platform, and 

 includes Hawaii and the Ocean 

 Islands. (5) The S. Pacific Chain 

 includes Easter Island on the E., 

 the Society, Cook, and Phoenix 

 Islands, and Fanning Island. 



The islands of Oceania are also 

 loosely grouped in relation to their 

 inhabitants into Melanesia, Micro- 

 nesia, and Poly- 

 nesia (q.v. ) ; this 

 grouping ignores 

 New Guinea, New 

 Zealand, and New 

 Caledonia, as well 

 as the relation of 

 the islands to the 

 relief of the floor of 

 the Pacific. Politi- 

 cally, Oceania is 

 divided among 

 Britain, France, 

 Japan, Chile, and 

 the U.S.A. 



British Oceania 

 includes the crown 

 colony of Fiji, the 



OCHILTREE 



N. of the equator, the Pelews, 

 Ladrones, Carolines, and the Mar- 

 shalls. Hawaii is the chief U.S.A. 

 group in Oceania ; Guam, Tutuila, 

 and other Samoan islets complete 

 the U.S.A. Pacific possessions 

 Easter Island belongs to Chile. 



Ocean Steamship Company. 

 British steamship line. Founded in 

 1875 with a service to China, the 

 line was an amalgamation of 



Ocelot. Specimen of the American species of wild cat 



W. S. Serridge, F.Z.S. 



islands administered by the High 

 Commissioner for the Western 

 Pacific, the Cook and other islands 

 annexed to New Zealand, including 

 the Auckland and Chatham Is- 

 lands, Norfolk Island, which is 

 Australian, as well as the former 

 German islands now administered 

 under mandate by Australia, New 

 Zealand, or Great Britain. 



French Oceania comprises New 

 Caledonia and its dependencies, 

 Tahiti, and the rest of the Society 

 Islands, the Marquesas, Low 

 Archipelago, the Leeward Islands, 

 and the Gambier group. The New 

 Hebrides are jointly British and 

 French. Japanese Oceania con- 

 sists of the former German islands 



Ochiltree, the outspoken beggar in 



iicott's novel The Antiquary. From 



a drawing by Sir W. Allan 



several smaller companies, and 

 soon carried on a brisk trade be- 

 tween Europe and the Far East. 

 In 1902 the China Mutual Steam 

 Navigation Company was absorbed. 

 In 1921 the principal sailings of the 

 line were regular fast services of 

 cargo steamers to America and the 

 Far East. 



Oceanus. In Greek mythology, 

 the god of the ocean, the father of 

 all things. The name was also 

 given to the river supposed to en- 

 circle the whole earth, which was 

 regarded as being flat. At a 

 later date, the term Oceanus was 

 applied generally to the greater 

 seas outside the Mediterranean. 



Ocelot (Felis pardus). Species 

 of wild cat occurring in tropical 

 America. It has tawny fur, beauti- 

 fully marked, and is usually nearly 

 3 ft. long. It spends much of its 

 time in the trees, where it preys 

 upon birds and small mammals. 

 In captivity it is morose and savage. 

 Ocelot is the Europeanised form 

 of the_Mexican name for jaguar. 

 Pron. 0-selo. 



Ochil Hills. Range of hills in 

 Scotland, principally in Perthshire, 

 but also occupying parts of the 

 cos. of Clackmannan, Kinross, and 

 Fife. They trend 25 m. N.E. from 

 Bridge of Allan, in Stirlingshire, to 

 the Firth of Tay, and enclose many 

 valleys and glens of great beauty. 

 The principal summits are Ben 

 Cleuch (2,363 ft.) and King's 

 Seat (2,111 ft.). Coal and other 

 minerals abound. See Alva. 



Ochiltree, EDIE. Character in 

 Scott's novel The Antiquary. A 

 king's bedesman or licensed beggar, 

 outspoken, shrewd, and humorous, 



