THE GREAT DEEPS 119 



hindering. There are many Bacteria in the 

 surface-waters of the sea, where they help in 

 the circulation of matter, but there do not 

 seem to be any in the great depths. That 

 means that there is no rotting, for there is no 

 rotting without Bacteria. If a dead whale 

 sinks to the floor of the sea, with its flesh com- 

 pacted together like pressed beef, it is nibbled 

 to fragments by crustaceans and other scav- 

 engers, and all of it is devoured or dissolved, 

 save the cowrie-like ear-bones which are al- 

 most as hard as stone. But the microscopic 

 atomies in their never-ending shower count 

 for much more than the carcases of whales. 



A REPRESENTATIVE FAUNA 



It is interesting to find that the assemblage 

 of animals on the floor of the Deep Sea is not 

 a picked one, but very representative. There 

 are many simple microscopic creatures 

 Foraminifers and Radiolarians; many horny 

 and flinty (but no calcareous) sponges; sea- 

 anemones and corals; worms of many kinds 

 in abundance; star-fishes, brittle-stars, sea- 

 urchins, sea-cucumbers, and many sea-lilies; 

 numerous crustaceans and quaint creatures 



