80 /miscellaneous. 



recently in a living coi)dition ; but it does not follow that they were 

 living when collected at such immense depths." My attention has 

 recently been called to this subject by the perusal of an account of 

 the recent discoveries of animal life in various forms at depths vastly 

 greater than had been previously suspected, — for instance, at 1400 

 fathoms by Torell, at 1000 and 1500 fathoms by Milne-Edwards, 

 and at 3000 fathoms by Dr. Wallich. The question of the nature 

 of the food of these abysmal animals is one of great interest ; and I 

 wish to place on record, in advance of the publication of the Report 

 of the Expedition, the results of my examination of the specimens 

 alluded to by Prof. Bailey, when they were freshly taken from the 

 water. 



In the sounding taken at the depth of 2700 fathoms, in lat. 56° 

 /i6' N., long. 168° 18' E., Lieut. Brooke used, for the armature of 

 his lead, three quills, each about three inches in length, fastened to- 

 gether, and placed in such a position that, when the lead struck the 

 bottom, the quills would be forced perpendicularly into it, and thus 

 become filled with mud from a stratum a few inches below the general 

 surface of the sea-bottom. The experiment was successful, the quills 

 coming up compactly filled with mud of the usual character occurring 

 at such depths in such latitudes. One of the quills, having been 

 submitted to me for microscopic examination, was carefully wiped 

 and cut in two at the middle, in order to secure for examination a 

 specimen as nearly as possible free from any chance admixture from 

 the water near the surface. In this specimen I found an abundance 

 of Diatoms, some of which, apparently Coscinodisci, appeared to me 

 to be undoubtedly living, judging from their fresh appearance and 

 the colours of their internal cell-contents. 



It is exceedingly doubtful whether sufficient light can penetrate 

 to so great a depth to afford the stimulus which these vegetable 

 organisms are supposed to require for their existence and multipli- 

 cation. On the other hand, it is by no means certain that some 

 amount of light does not so penetrate ; and if we deny the existence 

 of vegetable life in these abysses, it will be difficult to account for 

 the existence there of animals which must ultimately derive their 

 sustenance from the vegetable kingdom. The supply which they 

 might obtain from the dead bodies of those organisms which die at 

 the surface, and slowly sink through two or three miles of water to 

 the bottom, seems totally insufficient ; for Dr. Wallich has proved 

 that the animals (starfishes, for instance) not only exist at those 

 depths, but exist in great numbers. We would call the attention of 

 those who may have an opportunity of obtaining specimens of the 

 bottom at great depths, to the great importance of a microscopic 

 examination of these specimens as soon as taken from the sea. 

 Fresh water should, of course, be used in spreading the mud upon 

 the slide. — SillimarCs Journal, May 1863. 



