Miscellaneous. 227 
where the bottom is raised to 3000, 2500, and 1500 metres, that our 
captures again became abundant ; it was here that we took the giant 
of the family of the Schizopodes, a Gnathophausia of a blood-red 
colour, measuring almost 0-25 metre in length. <A short stay of 
the ‘Talisman’ at Fayal and afterwards at St. Michael, in the 
Azores, enabled us to compare the still active volcanic phenomena 
with those which we had just studied at the summit of the Peak of 
Teneriffe. 
The analogy of the rocks, of the gaseous products, and of the de- 
posits of sulphur is striking, and, from what takes place at the 
surface of the ground, one can form an idea of the submarine con- 
vulsions which have covered the bed of the Sargasso Sea with pumice 
and igneous rocks. 
Our voyage from the Azores to France was made under excellent 
conditions, and every day a dredging was made at depths of from 4000 
to 5000 metres. These difficult operations, very skilfully conducted 
by Captain Parfait, brought to us harvests of extreme importance. 
Under this crushing pressure, in a dark medium and without 
traces of vegetation, the animals are numerous and of a very perfect 
organization. 
Great fishes of the genus Macrurus, as well as Scopeli and Melano- 
ceti, seem not to be rarethere. Some Hermit Crabs and Galatheide 
of anew form, a gigantic Nymphonid of the genus Colossendeis, some 
unknown Lthene, some Amphipodes, and some Cirripedes represent 
the Crustaceans. But this abyssal fauna owes its physiognomy 
especially to the number, variety, and size of the Holétiutinns 
which dwell there. 
The sea-bottom is carpeted in all that region with a thick white 
mud, almost entirely formed of Globigerine, and covering pumice and 
fragments of rocks of different natures, of which some bear the im- 
pressions of fossils, and, among others, of Trilobites ; but what 
surprised us most was to find, at a distance of more than 700 miles 
from the coast of Europe, pebbles polished and striated by ice 
The distinctness of these strix does not allow us to suppose that they 
were transported by currents. The presence of these pebbles is 
probably due to the action of floating masses of ice which, at the 
quaternary epoch, advanced further towards the south iliah at the 
present day, and which, melting in that part of the Atlantie com- 
prised between the Azores and France, let fall on the bottom 
stones which they had previously carried along torn from the bed 
of the glaciers. 
On the 30th August we dragged our nets for the last time on 
the rapid declivity which unites the abysses of the ocean with the 
depths of the Bay of Biscay, and our captures added to the fauna of 
the French seas a great number of new or interesting species. It 
was time to return to Rochefort: our casks and jars were full 
our alcohol was exhausted. This expedition has furnished us with 
incomparable materials for study; it remains now to set to work 
upon them. The Minister of Public Instruction recognizes the im- 
portance of this, and he has been kind enough to furnish mo with 
