8 EXPEDITION OF THE “ALBATROSS,” 1899-1900. 
collection of surface animals is quite extensive, and many interesting forms 
were obtained. As regards the deeper hauls, they only confirm what has 
been my experience on former expeditions, that beyond 300 to 350 fathoms 
very little animal life is found, and in the belt above 300 fathoms the 
greater number of many so-called deep-sea Crustaceans and deep-sea fishes 
were obtained. I may mention that we obtained Pelagothuria at about 
100 fathoms from the surface. 
We trawled at Station 10 in 3088 fathoms. Unfortunately, the trawl 
was not successful, and we simply hauled the bag through over 3000 
fathoms without bringing up a single deep-sea animal from intermediate 
depths which we did not obtain quite near the surface — at less than 
300 fathoms. I may mention here that the experience of the “ Valdivia” 
shows, from the preliminary reports published by Professor Chun,! that 
pelagic alge do not extend to beyond about 150 fathoms. Although he 
also states that animal life is found at all depths from the surface to the 
bottom, yet he states that beyond 800 meters it diminishes very rapidly ; 
Professor Chun does not state whether this diminution is more rapid away 
from land than near continental areas, both of which conditions I had called 
especial attention to in my Preliminary Report on the “ Albatross” expe- 
dition of 1891, while using the Tanner net in the Gulf of California2 
Mr. George Murray has criticised the action of the Tanner deep-sea net, 
and condemns its results, suggesting that the bottom net had always 
closed some time after being sent down? I need not now discuss that sub- 
ject, but will only refer him to the report of the “Albatross,” in which 
he will find the closed part of the net to have on several occasions brought 
up (when I expected it to do so) specimens from over 600 fathoms from 
immediately above the bottom, or samples of the bottom from near 1700 
fathoms while attempting to tow immediately above that depth. I ought, 
in justice to him, to state that I omitted to mention that we secured the 
loops by twine to the detacher to insure their dropping only when the 
1 Die Deutsche Tiefsee Expedition 1898-99. Zeits. d. Gesell. fiir Erdkunde zu Berlin, 1899, 
XXXIV., Heft 2. 
2 Bull, M. C. Z., 1892, Vol. XXIII., No. 1, pp. 40, 45. 
8 George Murray. Exploration of the intermediate depths of the ocean. Geog. Mag., XIII., No. 2, 
February, 1899, p. 152. 
