Miscellaneous. 371 



On " Sargasso-Seas.'" 

 (Extract from a letter to Dr. Gray from Prof. Agardh.) 

 " On the maps of Capt. Maury there are marked several ' Sargasso- 

 seas.' It is -well known that the one in the Atlantic Ocean, between 

 the Cape-Verde Islands and the Azores, consists merely of specimens 

 of Sargassuin hacciferum ; but I think that it is not known of what 

 species the other Sargasso-seas are formed, and that it would be, of 

 some interest to have specimens collected there. Would it not be in 

 your power, by the commission of the Admiralty, to have specimens 

 from the different localities collected ? and they need be only rudely 

 dried ; they may be afterwards easily prepared. I find such Sargasso- 

 seas marked in the following places : — 



" West of the Cape of Good Hope, between 30° and 45° lat. S., 

 between 0° and 15° long. W. from Greenwich. 



" North from the Falklands, between 45° and 60° long. 



" South-east from the Cape of Good Hope, between 45° and 90° 

 long. E., and between 40° and 50° lat. S. 



" East from New Zealand, between 45° and 50° lat. S., between 

 160° and 170° long. 



" North from the Sandwich Islands, between 30° and 45° lat. N., 

 140° and 170° long. 



"I think it would be of interest, not only for the algologist, but 

 also for the knowledge of the movements of the sea, the study of 

 currents, &c." 



On sending Prof. Agardh's inquiries to Capt. Toynbee, he re- 

 plies : — 



" On referring to Capt. Maury's maps, I do not see so many Sar- 

 gasso-seas as mentioned by Prof. Agardh. 



" During my voyages to India we very frequently met with sea- 

 weed to the S.W. and also to the S.E. of the Cape of Good Hope : 

 it was what is commonly called kelp, having long stalks and broad 

 leaves. It is very abundant near Tristan d'Acuuha, the Crozets, &c. 

 I am not aware that there is any part of the sea which has large 

 fields of weed of a kind peculiar to itself, excepting the Sargasso-sea 

 in the Atlantic. 



" I see, in his ' Physical Geography of the Sea,' Capt. Maury 

 does give a map of these various patches of weed ; but he does not 

 imply that they are of kinds peculiar to those spots, but otherwise. 

 I think I may say decidedly that those of the South Atlantic and 

 Southern Indian Ocean are kelp or something of that kind." 



The Chinese Long-tailed Goat Antelope (TJrotragus caudatus). 

 By Dr. J. E. Gbat, F.R.S. &c. 



The long-tailed goat antelope from North China (Antilo2ye crispa 

 of Eadde, and Antilope caudata of Milne-Edwards) agrees with the 

 genus Capricomis in having a naked muffle, but differs from it in 

 having no erumen or suborbital pit in the skull in front of the orbit. 



