ROMANCE OF DEPTHS OF THE SEA 107 

 reveal animals known hitherto only as fossils, or 

 perhaps indeed some strange creatures which 

 would come into no class or subdivision of our 

 modern zoological classifications. Neither of these 

 conjectures has proved to be correct. The bottom 

 of the sea is fairly well populated, and, with one 

 or two not very striking exceptions, its explora- 

 tion has revealed no persistent fossil-types and 

 certainly no forms which do not readily fall into 

 existing zoological systems. But the conditions 

 which we have attempted to depict undoubtedly 

 have had a great influence on the structure of 

 the deep-sea animals. Many of them have re- 

 tained and others have acquired a radial symmetry, 

 and, planted as many of them are in the semi-fluid 

 ooze exposed to a ceaseless shower of Foraminifera, 

 they have acquired a certain " stalkiness." This 

 " stalkiness " is shown by many of the coelenter- 

 ates and the sponges, by tunicates, and above all 

 by the stalked sea-lilies. Animals with legs and 

 tentacles have in the depths developed longer 

 legs and longer tentacles. In fact the tentacles 

 are many times the length of the body, and 

 stretch out through the water in all directions, 

 acting in the place of eyes. In the fishes certain 

 of the fin-rays are prolonged and, like the barbels 



