r^-J DIS(;OLOURF.I) SEA. 



ture as to what two kinds of animals these belong- 

 ed. Captain Colnett remarks, that this appearance 

 is very pommon among the Galapagos Islands, and 

 that the direction of the bands indicates that of the 

 currents ; in the described case, however, the line 

 was caused by the wind. The only other appear- 

 ance which I have to notice, is a thin oily coat on 

 the water which displays iridescent colours. I saw 

 a considerable tract of the ocean thus covered on 

 the coast of Brazil; the seamen attributed it to the 

 putrefying carcass ofsome whale, which probably 

 was floating at no great distance. I do not here 

 mention the minute gelatinous particles, hereafter 

 to be referred to, which are frequently dispersed 

 throughout the water, for they are not sufficiently 

 abundant to create any change of colour. 



There are two circumstances in the above ac- 

 counts which appear remarkable : first, how do 

 the various bodies which form the bands with de- 

 fined edges keep together 1 In the case of the 

 prawn-like crabs, their movements were as coin- 

 stantaneous as in a regiment of soldiers ; but this 

 cannot happen from any thing like voluntary action 

 with the ovules, or the confei'VEe, nor is it probable 

 among the infusoria. Secondly, what causes the 

 length and narrowness of the bands 1 The appear- 

 ance so much resembles that which may be seen 

 in every toiTent, where the stream uncoils into long 

 streaks the froth collected in the eddies, that I must 

 attribute the effect to a similar action either of the 

 currents of the air or sea. Under this supposition 

 we must believe that the various organized bodies 

 are produced in certain favourable places, and are 

 thence removed by the set of either wind or water. 

 I confess, however, there is a very great difficulty 

 in imagining any one spot to be the birthplace of the 

 millions of millions of animalcula and confervee : for 



