348 Rev. Canon Norman — A Month on 



gjypha gracilis^ Ophioscolex glacialis, Echinus elegans (very 

 fine), Sjiirotropis carinata, Trophon clathratus^ Emargimda 

 crassa, Hanleyia dehih's, Pecten vitreus and aratus, Lima 

 excavata^&c. Although several attempts were made to again 

 strike this exact spot, we never succeeded in doing so, and other 

 parts of this precipice did not prove so rich. 



The second precipice descends from a water-covered ridge 

 which runs out in a west-by-south direction from the point of 

 the little hill on the other side of the miniature bay which 

 that hill forms to the north of Rodberg, the face of the 

 precipice being thus E. by N. Here I met with some 

 species which were not procured elsewhere, including the 

 very rare and beautiful Sarcophyton pia-pureum. 



The third precipice is at Rodberg itself, where from the 

 northern ends of the rocks which form the little headland 

 thus named a precipice of 250 fathoms descends perpendicu- 

 larly to the bottom. Tliis precipice was thus worked : the 

 boat pulled out about two hundred yards, and when the 

 dredge and sufficient rope had been let out returned to 

 the shore ; the dredge was then hauled up the face of this 

 great 1500-feet submerged cliff. If it caught on a ledge or 

 jutting point the rope was hauled very "taut," and then 

 suddenly a few fathoms of line were slackened. In this way 

 the dredge was frequently set free and hauled up again. 

 When it finally caught, which was sure to be the case, the 

 boat was again manned and the dredge was taken in from 

 the sea. It was a wonderful sight to see the deep-sea Corals, 

 Alcyonarians, Astrophytons, &c. in a dredge thus handled 

 from the shore — containing a fauna of which we know nothing 

 in our own shallow seas, and can only hope to meet with 

 when we reach the great precipices which dive into the bed 

 of the Atlantic far away to the west of Ireland. 



The following list gives species which are characteristic of 

 the precipices ; many of them attach themselves to or crawl on 

 the rock, but a considerable number feed upon or are almost 

 invariably with or on the Alcyonarians or corals, into the 

 latter of which some very interesting sponges also burrow. 



MoLLUSCA. 



Aldisa zetlandica. Calliostoma occidentale. 



Triopella incisa. Emarginula crassa. 



Trophon clathratus. Puncturella uoachina. 



, var. Gnuneri. Hanleyia debilis. 



Spirotropis carinata. S. abvssorum f . 



Cerethiopsis costulata. Leptocliiton alveolus. 



t Magnificent specimens are in the Trondhjem Mueeum from Rodberg, 

 but I did not meet with it. 



