1306 THE STORY OF THE UNIVERSE 



ments of such shells mixed with a quantity of amor- 

 phous calcareous matter in fine particles, a little fine 

 sand, and many spicules, portions of spicules, and 

 shells of Radiolaria, a few spicules of sponges, and 

 a few frustules of diatoms. 



In this dredging, as in most others in the bed 

 of the Atlantic, there was evidence of a considerable 

 quantity of soft gelatinous organic matter, enough 

 to give a slight viscosity to the mud of the surface- 

 layer. This gelatinous matter is capable of a cer- 

 tain amount of movement, and there can be no doubt 

 that it manifests the phenomena of a very simple 

 form of life. 



To this organism, if a being can be so called which 

 shows no trace of differentiation of organs, consist- 

 ing apparently of an amorphous sheet of a protein 

 compound, irritable to a low degree and capable of 

 assimilating food, Professor Huxley has given the 

 name of Bathybius haeckelii. The circumstance 

 which gives its special interest to Bathybius is its 

 enormous extent: whether it be continuous in one vast 

 sheet, or broken up into circumscribed individual 

 particles, it appears to extend over a large part of 

 the bed of the ocean; and as no living thing, however 

 slowly it may live, is ever perfectly at rest, but is 

 continually acting and reacting with its surround- 

 ings, the bottom of the sea becomes like the surface 

 of the sea and of the land a theatre of change, per- 

 forming its part in maintaining the "balance of or- 

 ganic nature." 



Living upon and among this Bathybius, we find 

 a multitude of other protozoa foraminifera and 



