Our Dredging Experiments. 19 



violet shells (Janthina fragilis), several Crustaceans, including a 

 large and perfect Glass-crab (Phyllosomd) y and several large Salpae 

 and Medusae. 



On the 1 2th of November we entered the north limit of our 

 surveying ground, being in latitude 17 S., and in the vicinity of 

 theAbrolhos Bank. Here, in latitude 17 18' S., longitude 35 34' 

 W., we made a cast with Bailie's deep-sea sounding apparatus ; 

 reaching bottom in 1,975 fathoms, and finding it to consist of 

 " Globigerina mud," of a pasty tenacity, tinged with red, and 

 containing a great mass of Globigerina tests, whole and frag- 

 mentary. Later in the day, when in latitude 1 7 32' S., longitude 

 35 46' W., we again sounded, getting bottom in 700 fathoms, 

 and bringing up a sort of light-grey ooze. Towards evening we 

 struck soundings in thirty-five fathoms, over the Hotspur Bank. 

 There we made a successful haul of the dredge, finding the bottom 

 composed of dead coral encrusted with Nullipores, Polyzoa, and 

 slimy Algae, and containing in its crevices some Crustaceans of 

 the genera Actaea and Corallana, and a few Annelids. The stony 

 masses of coral which we brought up were pierced in all direc- 

 tions by boring molluscs; and one specimen of a long elaborately 

 woven sponge (which has since been described by Mr. S. O. 

 Ridley, of the British Museum, as a new variety of Cladochalina 

 armigerd) was found attached to a lump of coral. 



The next day we sounded in latitude 18 4' S., longitude 

 3 6° 1' W., using the Lucas wire sounder. We reached bottom 

 in 300 fathoms, the bulldog apparatus bringing up fragments of 

 coral rock encrusted with calcareous Algae. In the afternoon we 

 passed into deeper water, sounding over the Globigerina ooze 

 area, in 1,395 and 2,025 fathoms. The surface water again 

 exhibited the same conferva- like bodies which were so abun- 

 dantly obtained near Madeira. The Pyrocystis noctiluca was 

 also largely represented ; and in the evening the tow-net was 

 found to contain small cuttle fish, some dead spirorbis shells, 

 specimens of the Criseis ariculata, Cleodora pyramidata, and of 



