Miscellaneous Intelligence. 301 



ditions, we consequently find that they are wanderers through great 

 geographic space, corresponding to the vicissitudes of temperature to 

 which they are subject. The second region reaches to the depth of ten 

 fathoms, in which, with the last subdivision of the first region, we have, 

 says Prof. Forbes, the characteristic Fauna of the Mediterranean. 

 Now the temperature in this region is seldom lower than 74° in the long 

 summer season, and it is consequently the region upon which the Med- 

 iterranean temperature has a more permanent influence, for which rea- 

 son we find in it the peculiar xMediterranean Fauna. The third region 

 descends to twenty fathoms and has a decreased temperature to 68°. 

 In the fourth region it is 62° at the depth of 35 fathoms. In the sixth 

 region the temperature is 56° at the depth of seventy-five fathoms; and 

 in the seventh and eighth regions, to the depth of three hundred fathoms, 

 the temperature decreases only to 55° or 55£°, as far as I was able to 

 ascertain. Thus, between the littoral zone and the lowest region there 

 is a difference during summer of 26°, and sometimes to 30° ; and be- 

 tween the second region (the Mediterranean) and the lowest, the tempe- 

 rature is about 20° ; thus standing at the average temperature of a 

 high northern latitude. After limiting the Mediterranean Fauna to the 

 second region, Prof. Forbes remarks, that the third is a transition zone ; 

 but in the fourth region the Celtic character of the Fauna is remarka- 

 ble, there being in that region nearly 50 per cent, of species identical 

 with northern forms. In the sixth and lower regions he remarks that 

 although the identical Celtic species were fewer in the lower region, 

 " he found the representation of northern species so great as to give a 

 much more boreal or subboreal character than is present in those re- 

 gions where identical forms are more abundant." Amongst the ^Egean 



Fauna are some which have a wide range in depth, — there being nine 

 species common to six regions, seventeen to five regions, and two com- 

 mon to all, — more than one half of which are known to be wide geo- 

 graphic rangers. They, like the cosmopolite species of the littoral 

 ^dal zone, being thus adapted to climatal changes, become consequent- 

 ly ramblers over wide geographic space, as they ramble into represen- 

 tations of climate in regions of depth. Thus, we have the climate of 

 a parallel represented in marine depths as in terrestrial elevation ; — and 

 th us it appears that density in depth is not so great an antagonist to the 

 existence of animal life as is generally supposed. The greatest depth 

 at which I have procured animal life is from three hundred and ninety 

 fathoms ; but I believe that it exists much lower, although the general 

 pharacter of the vEgean is to limit to three hundred fathoms; but as 

 *n the deserts we have an oasis, so in the great depths of 300, 400, and 

 perhaps 500 fathoms, we may have an oasis of animal life amidst the 

 barren fields of yellow clay, dependent upon favorable, and perhaps 

 accidental, conditions, — such as the growth of millepore, now found to 

 be a vegetable instead of a coral, — thus presenting prolific spots favor- 

 able for the existence and growth of animal life. These peculiar con- 

 ditions of density and food^develop necessarily a peculiar Fauna, upon 

 w hich climatal influence, nevertheless, stamps its characteristic forms 

 throughout the species. 



, Dr. Williams inquired whether the temperature of the water was not 

 different from the temperature of the earth or mud on which it rested 



