20 THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. [CHAP. i. 



73 37' N., long. 77 25' W.) ; a magnificent Asterias 

 (Caput Medusce) was entangled by the line, and 

 brought up with very little damage. The mud was 

 soft and greenish, and contained specimens of Lum- 

 bricus tubicola. 9 So far my written journal ; but I 

 can add, from a very distinct recollection, that the 

 heavy deep-sea weight had sank, drawing the line 

 with it, several feet into the soft greenish mud, 

 which still adhered to the line when brought to 

 the surface of the water. The star-fish had been 

 entangled in the line so little above the mud that 

 fragments of its arms, which had been broken off in 

 the ascent of the line, were picked up from amongst 

 the mud. 55 



Sir James Clark Ross, E.N., dredging in 270 

 fathoms, lat. 73 3' S., long. 176 6' E., reports : l 

 " Corallines, Flustrce, and a variety of invertebrate 

 animals, came up in the net, showing an abundance 

 and great variety of animal life. Amongst these I 

 detected two species of Pycnogomim ; Idotea baffini, 

 hitherto considered peculiar to the Arctic seas ; a 

 Chiton, seven or eight bivalves and univalves, an un 

 known species of Gammarus, and two kinds of Serpula 

 adhering to the pebbles and shells ... It was interest 

 ing amongst these creatures to recognize several that 

 I had been in the habit of taking in equally high 

 northern latitudes ; and although, contrary to the 

 general belief of naturalists, I have no doubt that, 

 from however great a depth we may be enabled to 

 bring up the mud and stones of the bed of the ocean, 



1 A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and 

 Antarctic Regions during the Years 1839-43. By Captain Sir 

 James Clark Ross, R.N". London, 1847. 



