at great Depths in the Sea. 53 



to the North Atlantic, I detected these very curious bodies in 

 great numbers, — occumng not only in the free state, noticed by 

 Professor Huxley, but as adjuncts to minute spherical cells, upon 

 the outer surface of which they were adherent in such a manner as 

 to leave no doubt of that being their normal position. Whilst 

 alluding to their occurrence, in my published " Notes on the 

 Existence of Animal Life at vast depths in the Ocean, ^^ I ven- 

 tured a surmise as to their being a larval condition of some of 

 the Foraminifera, — first, in consequence of their being invariably 

 present in greatest quantity in such of the deep-sea deposits as 

 were most prolific of these organisms ; secondly, because, in one 

 or two instances, Coccoliths had been met with by me adherent 

 to Foraminiferous shells in such a manner as to render it highly 

 improbable that they could have attained their position by acci- 

 dent ; and lastly, because the spherical cells, to which reference 

 has been made, when entirely freed from their adherent Cocco- 

 liths, presented no discernible points of difference, save as regards 

 somewhat inferior dimensions, from the minute and nearly hya- 

 line solitary cells of the earliest stage of the Globigerinse. 



On reference to the annexed woodcut it will be seen that the 

 composite bodies to which I allude, and to which 1 propose to 

 give the name of Coccospheres, are minute spherical cells (figs. 

 1 & 2) having a defined limitary wall, and that upon their 

 outer surface the Coccoliths of Professor / s 



Huxley are arranged at nearly regular in- 

 tervals. The cells, when crushed, are seen 

 to contain a homogeneous, gelatinous, and 

 almost colourless matter, exhibiting no visible trace of organiza- 

 tion, and, in all probability, consisting of sarcode. The wall of 

 the cell may be distinctly seen under a high power; but from 

 the minuteness of the entire structure, I have hitherto found it 

 impossible to do more than attest its existence. Accordingly 

 there is nothing visible to show whether the wall is formed of 

 one or more than one layer. Cells are sometimes met w ith in a 

 fractured condition ; but I have never observed a collapsed spe- 

 cimen, or flattened-out fragment, such as would frequently occur 

 were the basis of the wall formed of anything more yielding than 

 calcai-eous matter. In like manner, I have hitherto failed to 

 detect markings or apertures in the limitary wall of the Cocco- 

 sphere. The solitary cells vary in diameter from jijVoth to 

 y^gth of an inch, when seen separately. Forming part of a 

 series, as in the specimen of Textularia presently to be described, 

 some cells, however, attain a much larger size. 



The Coccoliths, to which term I would restrict the minute 

 bodies described by Professor Huxley, are of an oblong shape, 

 concave on their internal aspect, namely that on which they are 



