n of 



"41 



30 YELLOW COLOURED BANDS. [chap. i. 



from the surrounding water by a sinuous yet distinct 

 margin. The colour was caused by little gelatinous balls, 

 about the fifth of an inch in diameter, in which numerous 

 minute spherical ovules were embedded ; they were of two 

 distinct kinds, one being of a reddish colour and of a 

 different shape from the other. I cannot form a conjecture 

 as to what two kinds of animals these belonged. Captain 

 Colnett remarks, that this appearance is very common 

 among the Galapagos Islands, and that the direction o^ 

 the bands indicates that of the currents ; in the descril 

 case, however, the line was caused by the wind, 

 only other appearance which I have to notice, is a 

 oily coat on the water, which displays iridescent colours, 

 saw a considerable tract of the ocean thus covered on th~ 

 coast of Brazil ; the seamen attribute it to the putrefying 

 carcass of some 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 accounts which 

 appear remarkable : first, how do the various bodies 

 which form the bands with defined edges keep together ? In 

 the case of the prawn-like crabs, their movements were as 

 coinstantaneous as in a regiment of soldiers ; but this cannot 

 happen from anything like voluntary action with the ovules, 

 or the confervas, nor is it probable among the infusoria. 

 Secondly, what causes the length and narrowness of the 

 bands ? The appearance so much resembles that which 

 may be seen in every torrent, 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 current 

 of the air or sea. Under this supposition we must believe 

 that the various organised 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 birth- 

 place of the millions of millions of animalcula and confervae : 

 for whence come the germs at such points ? — the parent 

 bodies having been distributed by the winds and waves over 

 the Immense ocean. But on no other hypothesis can I 

 understand their linear grouping. I may add that Scoresby 

 remarks, that green water abounding with pelagic animals 

 is invariably found in a certain part of the Arctic Sea. 



