40 M. A. Milne-Edwards on the 



some CaryojiliylUcv identical with those collected in the 

 Atlantic by the ' Travaillenv.' Several s])ecimens of Desmo- 

 phyllum crisia-gaUi, resend)ling those of the Bay of Biscay, 

 were collected by the ^ Charente ' U])on the teleg-raph cable at 

 450 metres ; they were associated with Can/i>j)J/ijIf/'a davus 

 and with CaryopliiiUia elecfyica, A. Milne-Edwards, which 

 Duncan has lately redescribed under the name of C. Calvert. 

 The coralligenous station of Cape iSicic (50-80 metres) gives 

 shelter to numerous Annelids ; but nearly all of them have 

 already been indicated oti' Marseilles ; one of them, Serpula 

 crater^ has been met with upon the telegraph cable down to a 

 depth of 1800 metres. We may also notice a small Ge{)hy- 

 rean which has not previously been found in the TMediterranean, 

 namely Ocnesoma Steenstrupn, the usual companion of the 

 Brisingce in the Atlantic. 



On two different occasions the dredge brought up specimens 

 of Brisinga^ which were certainly not numerous, and were of 

 small dimensions when com[)ared with those of the Atlantic; 

 but the ])rcsenee in the j\lediterranean of this magniticent star- 

 fish, which has hitherto been thought peculiar to the cold and 

 deep regions of the ocean, is an entirely unexpected fact. Our 

 Brisingoi were obtained between 550 and 2660 metres. We 

 may also cite Archaster hifrons^ which was sup})osed to be 

 peculiar to the Atlantic, and a new s})ecies of Aster ias [A. 

 liic/iardi, Pcrrier), taken at 540 metres, endowed with the 

 faculty of reproducing by the division of its body into two parts. 



During the whole of the expedition vve collected samples 

 of the bottom, which were treated with osmic acid and placed 

 in well-closed tubes, to be afterwards submitted to the exami- 

 nation of M. Certes. It Avas indeed interesting to ascertain 

 whether Infusoria resembling or of different form from those of 

 the surface lived in the great depths. These organisms, how- 

 ever, were not met with ; the soft Rhizopods, or those with 

 chitinous carapace, which occur at the surface of the sea, are 

 rare; finally, the examination of the finest granules never 

 betrayed the existence of Bacteria or other Microbia. A 

 sounding made between Nice and Corsica, at 2660 metres, 

 furnished several small Actinojyhryes. 



The study of the Foraminifera is far from being completed ; 

 but the results already obtained show the variety of the 

 species, and the existence of numerous oceanic types and 

 forms known in the fossil state. One Foraminifer especially 

 is of much interest, because, when young, it displays the form 

 of a Cristellan'a, and subsequently that of a Nodosaria. M. 

 iSchlumberger has described it under the name oi Amphicoryna. 



The Sponges are not at all abundant at great depths. 



