106 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Apr 



has the following (Proc. Roy. Soc, 1877, Vol xxx p. 221). 

 Mr. Gwyn Jeffries, during the voyage of the "Valorous," 

 collected by means of the towing net, in lat. 58° 51' N., 

 long. 34° 18' W, a peculiar organism having the appearance 

 of a small sponge. It was found to have a very wide 

 range extending over some thousands of square miles. 

 The general aspectof a specimen preserved in spirit is such 

 that it might be readily mistaken for a sponge. These 

 objects were submitted to Dr. Bowerbank and Mr. Carter, 

 who both reported it to have the character of a sponge. 

 The latter was more specific in his opinion,and pronounced 

 it a Diatom, probably a Synedra. Before Mr. Carter's 

 report, 1 had arrived at the same conclusion. The organ- 

 ism is of the genus Synedra and remarkable on account 

 of the large proportion of celluloid matter which seems to 

 connect the frustules in masses. The former may be com- 

 pared to the sarcode ; the latter, to the spicules of the 

 sponge, but there is a mere resemblance. It is further 

 notable on account of the great length of the frustuleas 

 contrasted with their breadth. 



The countless multitudes of this diatom, and of others 

 of the same family, and the extent of sea over which 

 tliey extended, are points of interest contributing direct- 

 ly as they do to the support of various smaller marine 

 animals, and these in turn to larger forms, adding also 

 to deposits taking place at various depths. I add a brief 

 description of the Synedra jeffreysii : "Frustules greatly 

 elongated, straight in front view linear, ends subcapitate 

 no psue-nodule, in side view linear rectangular, striae 

 marginal. The total length varies from a ninth to a tenth 

 of an inch, and the front has a diameter of 1-4000, the 

 aide view about 1-2500 of an inch. The strisB are 40 to 

 50 in a thousandth of an inch." 



Now this form is common in the soundings whicli I 

 have examined and which were brouglit home by Admiral 

 Belknap in tlie U. S. S. "Tuscarora," showing that it is 



