Se 
BS 
a 
3] 
we 
fr the abysmal depths of the ocean is hazardous to, say. 
Thediminution in temperature as the depth of the ocean in- 
Gases will of course retard the growth of micro-organisms. 
The deepest point from which water samples were taken in 
lit Mediterranean (3,200) showed thirty germs per cc. but 
‘temperature in this instance was high for deep water as 
seahas a constant temperature of about 55° F. below the 
., 
Bacterial Flora of the. Allantic. 389, 
} GW feet lin 
Relation of bacteria to the sea-floor. 
_ When we consider the bacterial flora of the sea-bottom, the 
tsilts of the analyses of mud show a widely different con- 
<i Micro-organisms are always present in very great 
Umber, Numerically, as regards the bacterial contents, 
‘i sea floor bears a similar relation to the superincumbent 
ba Masses that the superficial soil layers do to the ~ 
‘ pieré above. This is only true, however, from _ 
fs witcal standpoint, for the water does not derive 
Si have their origin in the soil. In only two instances 
foes end at Woods Holl forms in the water that plainly 
Thee laa they Were derived from the slime layers below. 
, ate explainable, however, for a heavy tide was 
‘Pobable th nh the Samples were taken and it is highly 
Yehottom » the tidal current detached particles of mud from 
Dle of and thus the mud bacteria were included in the 
Sittom, sround water, although five or six feet from the 
wi alses of the sea bottom that were made at Woods 
hsmplee nn overed nearly one hundred tests. Most of 
Sang and were secured from Buzzard’s Bay and Vineyard 
‘Ber, ‘ncluded material of widely varying-physical char- 
‘Rare Riles . ‘rea covered was not far from one hundred 
y-five fe and included all depths from the shore line ois 
et. 
he ‘ 
Rity a nety-five Samples that were analysed from this lo- 
“Se number of bacteria per cc. was about 
be! 
— meth Pe Was a sample of mud tested by means of 
ait nods that did not yield bacteria although the 
' few a Were wide. ‘4 
mo Per ¢ ances, the number of germs present were fully 
“y but these exceptional cases are to be ex- 
