THE GREAT DEEPS 133 



Antarctic. The male sea-spiders from the 

 deep sea, like those from shallow seas, carry 

 the bunches of eggs attached to their limbs. 

 It is also interesting to find that some animals, 

 whose seashore representatives liberate eggs, 

 bring forth embryos in the Deep Sea. This 

 is probably an adaptation which counteracts 

 the risk of the passive eggs being smothered 

 in ooze. 



RETROSPECT 



Let us now gather together briefly what we 

 have learned, and try to make a mind-picture 

 of the depths of the ocean. 



The average depth is 2^ miles, but there 

 are " deeps" of over 6 miles, so that the 

 highest mountain in the world, if thrown 

 in, would be far below the surface of the 

 water. 



It is very cold; it is absolutely soundless; 

 it is calm, and quite dark, save for the weird 

 blue-green light radiating from the corals fixed 

 in the mud, or from the luminous spots of the 

 animals slowly moving in and out among these 

 4 'perpetual light-houses." Star-fishes, sea- 

 urchins, sea-cucumbers, many kinds of molluscs, 



