A. R. Hunt — Facts observed on the Sea-floor. 31 



when other areas are examined difficulties present themselves. For 

 in the Colne-Clitheroe district, in limestones which at present 

 we have every reason to regard as lying in the Upper Visean 

 or D zone, we find Z. omaUusi and especially Z. omaliiisi, var. densa, 

 freely developed, and D. charlestonensis scarce, although from the 

 above line of reasoning it might be expected that the latter would 

 easily be the dominant form. And, further, in the Cement Stones 

 (Tournaisian) of Liddisdale, where Z. delanouei is so (comparatively) 

 abundant, only one of these corals has so far been found, and that, 

 contrary to expectation, is an undoubted D. charlestonensis. It may 

 be said that the evolution from Z. omaliusi was accelerated or 

 retarded, as the case may be, in various districts. Such an hypothesis 

 would certainly present an easy way out of the difficulty, though not 

 a very acceptable one to the zonal investigator. All we can say at 

 present is that while there can be no doubt of the genetic affinity of 

 Z. omaliusi and Z. omaliusi, var. densa, on the other hand it is not 

 certain that the affinity extends to B. charlestonensis, the latter being 

 possibly a homoeomorphic form. 



{To he concluded in our next Number.) 



VI. — Facts obsekved by Lieut. Damant, E..N"., at the Sea-bottom. 

 By Arthur E. Hunt, M.A., F.G.S. 



rpAKING into consideration the apparently hopeless tangle in which 

 JL the ripplemark and submarine erosion questions had become 

 involved, I submitted to the Devonshire Association in July last 

 a paper entitled "The Ripplemark Controversy," in which I attempted 

 to bequeath the subject to posterity in such a form that anyone 

 interested in the enquiry could pick it up where it had been dropped. 

 It was, at any rate, my own farewell, or was so intended to be. 



Last summer, however, in the progress of night manoeuvres, the 

 torpedo boat No. 99 was — fortunately, in the interests of science — sunk 

 in 25 fathoms oR Torbay. The vessel was recovered, and beached in 

 Torbay. My curiosity was excited as to whether the divers could 

 elucidate any of the submarine problems ; but naturally, men only 

 incidentally employed about the salvage could give me no information, 

 and I hesitated to trouble the officers, besides being uncertain to whom 

 I might apply. However, when Lieut. Damant, R.N., was appointed 

 as a special officer to instruct divers, and as I knew he had been 

 engaged in the salvage of No. 99, 1 finally deicded to lay the case 

 before him. The result has been that, instead of my taking leave of 

 ripplemark and the physics of the sea-floor, ripplemark has abruptly 

 taken leave of me. 



Lieut. Damant has scarcely appreciated the importance of his 

 evidence, and as he has never contemplated publishing anything on 

 the subject, I am going to ask the hospitality of the Geological 

 Magazine to secure for our distinguished diver national priority for 

 his observations. 



I may observe that in the Blue-book on Marine Erosion, just 

 published, Mr. Aubrey Strahan, on being requested to furnish 

 information on submarine disturbance, could find nothing better than 



