THE GREAT DEEPS 113 



from place to place. This is ooze. One kind 

 consists mainly of the beautiful lime-shells of 

 certain types of chalk-forming animals or 

 Foraminifera (Globigerinids) which live on the 

 surface of the sea. When these animals are 

 killed the shells sink to form Globigerina 

 deposit, which is very abundant on some parts 

 of the floor of the Atlantic. Similarly there is 

 Radiolarian ooze, consisting chiefly of the 

 beautiful flint-shells belonging to another set 

 of pelagic animals. Pteropod ooze consists 

 mainly of the remains of the delicate shells of 

 certain " sea-butterflies," and Diatom ooze 

 consists mainly of the siliceous shells of these 

 very simple pelagic plants. Then there is 

 what is called " Red Clay," though it is neither 

 red nor clay, a fine powdery stuff made by the 

 final disintegration of mineral materials all 

 sorts of things reduced to their lowest terms. 

 In a general way we must think of the ooze as 

 due to the settling down of "the dust of the 

 sea." In its softer forms it has been described 

 as "like butter in summer." If there were 

 rapid currents the ooze would be swept about 

 and make life impossible, but it is well suited 

 for a world of calm. When we think of the 



ooze we can readily understand why many of 

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