Dr. Hooker on some results of Deep-sea Dredging. 239 
very similar to those forming the “fossil powder” detected in 
the neighbourhood of New York and in other parts of the globe. 
Prof. Ehrenberg has described from our collections as many as 140 
species, or thereabouts, all brought from the vicinity of Palmer’s 
and Victoria Land. In a living state they inhabit the surface of 
the ocean and the newly-forming ice, and afford food for Salpe 
and animals of a higher organization ; which, in their turn, nou- 
rish the most fully-developed beings inhabiting those regions 
where the animal kingdom lives and abounds independently it 
would seem of the vegetable. Well may we agree with Professor 
Owen in regarding these “minute Infusory animalcules” as “the 
wakeful members of nature’s invisible police, everywhere ready 
to arrest the fugitive organized particles which are suspended in 
water, and to turn them back into the ascending stream of ani- 
mal life.” 
It is probable that animal life exists at a very great depth, sus- 
pended im the ocean. On one occasion a sounding-line that had 
been lowered to 1000 fathoms brought up at the 550-fathom 
mark, long strings of animal matter, about the diameter of a 
crow-quill, of indefinite length, great elasticity, and as viscid as 
bird-lme. It is certainly possible that in descending or ascend- 
ing the line may have become entangled with this substance 
nearer the surface; but I am not inclined to suppose so for the 
following reasons : because the tow-net was constantly used, both 
during and before and after the soundings, without procuring 
any of the substance; because its viscidity was so great, that no 
other part of the line could well have passed through without a 
portion adhering to it; and because, upon two future occasions, 
the same substance came up on the sounding-line from unques- 
tionably very deep water. 
Allow me to conclude by expressing my earnest hope that your 
pages may be destined to announce the results of dredgings at 
far greater depths than those I have just mentioned, and in lesser 
ones too, from all longitudes between Baflin’s Bay and Behring’s 
Straits; for I am satisfied that every means of forwarding this 
object will be granted to Mr. Goodsir, who has already proved 
himself admirably qualified to turn such opportunities to the best 
account. 
Believe me ever yours very truly and respectfully, 
JosEPH Datton HooKeEr. 
