256 THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. 



The greatest of Greek naturalists Aristotle died within 

 actual sight of these tidal phenomena; but we may very 

 safely reject the old story that he drowned himself in the 

 Euripus, because unable satisfactorily to explain them. 



The colour, luminosity, and saltness of the Mediterranean 

 are discussed by Admiral Smyth in one of his chapters. The 

 clear blue tint of its waters has been commemorated from 

 early time ; and, in the absence of strong tides or currents, 

 it is probable that such colour may be more constant in this 

 deep inland sea than in the ocean at large. But the rule 

 is the same here as in the open ocean : shallow water is 

 indicated by a green tint of different degrees, profound 

 depth by an indigo blue colour. In that wonderful pheno- 

 menon of animal life the luminousness of its waters 

 the Mediterranean is at least as remarkable as any other 

 sea. Some observers have considered it to be more so; 

 and it is doubtless possible though not proved, that the 

 recesses of an inland sea with few currents, highly saline, and 

 shown by its volcanoes to be closely contiguous to sources of 

 subterranean heat, may favour the generation of these singu- 

 lar forms of animal life, which perplex the imagination equally 

 by their profuse abundance and exquisite minuteness. 



Regarding the saltness of this Sea our information is 

 somewhat ambiguous. The most exact notices appear to be 

 those of Borillon la Grrange, which give the average propor- 

 tions of saline matter as fully four per cent. ; or about one- 

 twelfth more than that of the ocean. But this may vary in 

 different parts of the Mediterranean ; and a further and more 

 curious question relates to the proportion at different depths. 

 In the case of a profound basin with a narrow egress, con- 

 tinually receiving saline matters both from the ocean and 

 land, and losing none by evaporation, the presumption 

 occurs that the water may become more saline and denser 

 at its greater depths, and may even in places deposit beds 



