Dr. O. Schmidt on CoccoUths and Rhabdoliths. 361 



the numerous hands of the crew proved to be more than 

 sufficient. During the operations with the dredge, the sound- 

 ings and measui'cments of temperature were also carried on. 

 With regard to the temperatures, I have as yet seen no con- 

 nected series ; but this portion of the operations of the survey 

 will be worked out by Lieutenant Weyprecht. In the deepest 

 parts of the gulf, with a surface temperature of 18° E,., the tem- 

 perature does not fall below 12° -10° R., so that these differ- 

 ences can hardly have any essential influence upon the deve- 

 lopment or repression of life. Moreover in the basin-like part 

 of the Adriatic Sea in which we made our observations, the 

 currents ar& remarkably small, and do not appear to affect the 

 greater depths of several hundred fathoms. I place the extra- 

 ordinary poverty of those deeps in all the higher forms of life 

 chiefly to the account of this circumstance. On the upper 

 parts of the Dalmatian coast, where the gulf is more narrowed, 

 the shore-current is more perceptible, and the position of 

 elongated islands and groups of reefs [Scoglien) gives origin to 

 stronger local currents ; it is precisely these regions that are 

 endowed with the richest fauna and flora. As both Heller 

 and myself ascertained, this abundance diminishes towards 

 E-agusa, and below this point the coast is almost entirely sterile. 

 On board the ' Triest ' I investigated three lines with the dredge, 

 namely Sasano-Brindisi, Bari-Durazzo, and Dulcigno-Viesti. 

 The greatest depth of the first line was reached with 480 

 fathoms, and that of the third with 630 fathoms. The dredge 

 could be so often cast, and, notwithstanding its simplicity, acted 

 with such certainty, that from its contents a tolerably correct 

 picture of the nature and population of the bottom must result. 

 The first freshly examined sample of the bottom from 170 

 fathoms convinced me that I had Bathi/bms-mnd before me. 

 Its yellowish-grey colour and its exceedingly characteristic 

 greasy nature were so well known to the officers that I was 

 unanimously assured by them that this " primitive mud " 

 predominates from the upper parts of the Adriatic Sea, alter- 

 nating only here and there with a few extended sandy tracts. 

 The soundings of previous years have confirmed this ; and in 

 like manner the dredge constantly brought me up this mud 

 from all depths on all three lines. It was immediately seen 

 that it is extremely rich in Foraminifera (predominantly Glohi- 

 gerina^ Orbulina^ JJvigerina^Botalia^ Textidario^^hwiWooVzd 

 in vain for other things which I had expected to find. A 

 young and consequently not quite certainly determinable 

 specimen of an Echinus^ probably E. melo {=.Flemingiill)^ from 

 230 fathoms, and an empty but perfect shell of Terehratulo. 

 vitrea from 430 fathoms is the entire produce ! That from tlie 

 Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser.4. Vol.x. 26 



