1 66 Miscellaneous. 



with greyish white ; tail-feathers irregularly crossed with blackish 

 brown ; thighs light buff. 



Total length, 23 inches ; bill, 7; wing, \2\ ; tail, 3f ; tarsi, 5. 



This is a very fine species, about the size of Numenius arcuatus and 

 N. australis, from the former of which it differs in the absence of 

 the white rump, and from the latter in its rufous colouring. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



"Do Diatoms live on the Sea-Bottom at Great Depths?" * 

 By G. C. Wallich, M.D. 



The following are some of my reasons for believing this question 

 may with certainty be answered in the negative. 



Although the soft parts are retained in specimens obtained from 

 extreme depths, they differ materially both in aspect and qualities 

 from those of Diatoms known to be living. Broken frustules are met 

 with, which retain the whole or a portion of the soft parts, in a con- 

 dition identical with that of unbroken specimens. Diatoms, when 

 obtained from extreme depths, never present a trace of motion — a 

 very important fact, inasmuch as it is difficult to conceive that the 

 mere transit from the bottom should destroy the power of locomo- 

 tion, which is so tenaciously retained by Diatoms under all other 

 circumstances. The Coscinodisci (which, as Dr. Stimpson very justly 

 observes) constitute the largest proportion of the Diatoms found in 

 the deep-sea deposits, are essentially inhabitants of shoal water — that 

 is to say, from one to fifty fathoms — being either independent free- 

 floating organisms, epiphytes on floating Alase, or e|:)iphytes on the 

 immediate surface layer of the sea-bed down to that depth. They do 

 not live imbedded in mud. On the other hand, the u])per waters of 

 the ocean actually teem with their frustules, both in our own and in 

 tropical latitudes, although only visible at the surface during calms. 

 In the mud brought up from great depths, the Diatoms are distri- 

 buted equally throughout the mass of the soundings — a fact which, 

 with all deference to Dr. Stimpson's views, I am inclined to regard 

 as directly contraindicative of their vitality. And, lastly, there ap- 

 pears to me to be no satisfactory evidence that Diatoms, whether 

 living or merely preserved from decay, constitute the food of the 

 deep-sea Rhizopods. 



On the questions of light, aeration, &c., I have already Avritten in 

 detail elsewhere, the above facts being merely offered for the guidance 

 of those who are pursuing this line of research. 



Description of a New Coral (Lithoprimnoa arctica), and Remarks 

 upon its Systematic Position. By E. Grube. 



The new Coral (^Lithoprimnoa arctica) described by Grube was 

 obtained on the Norwegian coast, in 70° N. lat. It presents several 



* See a short paper on this suhject, extracted from ' Silliman's Journal ' for 

 Mav 1863, and published at p. 79 of the ' Annals and Magazine of iNatural History' 

 for July 1863. 



