[93] ALBA.TROSS EXPLORATIONS. 595 



each side, with a pair of long curved appendages on the sides of the 

 head. Some singular forms of Turbellarian worms have also been 

 taken, one of which is about 2 inches long, and flat, with a i>air of long 

 lateral appendages extending back from the head. Its color in life was 

 orange. 



The Protozoa are also well represented by various species of Radio- 

 laria and Foraminifera. Among the latter are several small species of 

 Glohigerina and allied genera that are nearly always taken in the sur- 

 face nets, and the shells of these are also among the most abundant of 

 those that constitute the " Globigerina ooze" of the bottom. 



It is certain that all this vast assemblage of surface-life must be con- 

 stantly dying and sinking to the bottom, thus furnishing food for the 

 numerous inhabitants of the deep sea, directly or indirectly. Although 

 these soft-bodied creatures would quickly decay in water so warm as the 

 surface of the Gulf Stream, it is necessary to remember that at the depth 

 of less than 150 fathoms the temperature falls to about 40° F., so that 

 decomposition would go on very slowly after they had fallen to that 

 depth. However, it is probable that such creatures begin to sink into the 

 cold depths as soon as they are injured or weakened in any way, and 

 thus they would reach the cold zone before life is extinct. In fact it 

 may be that the cold itself in most cases is the actual or immediate 

 cause of the death of those weakened or partially disabled creatures 

 that are unable to keep their places at the surface. As a matter of fact, 

 I have taken from the stomachs of bottom-dwelling creatures, like Acti- 

 niae and star-fishes, various surface animals, including Saipa and Lepas, 

 which showed no signs of decomposition. Yet it is estimated that it 

 would take several days for such things to sink to the bottom in 2.000 

 fathoms. 



Hitherto we have not met with small forms of plant life in the Gulf 

 Stream in any abundance. The microscopic plant life seems to be much 

 less abundant there than near the coast. In fact, the small amount of 

 such organisms hitherto observed seems to indicate that the vast numbers 

 of the small forms of animal life cannot depend mainly upon plants for 

 their primary food-supply, and renders it more than probable that many 

 of the Protozoa, at least, are capable of deriving their food directly from 

 inorganic matter to a large extent, if not entirely. It is not necessary 

 to believe that this power is restricted to the vegetable kingdom, but 

 this question needs farther investigation. 



PRELIMINARY LIST OF ACALEPR^ COLLECTED BY THE "ALBATBOSS" 

 IN 1883 IN THE REGION OF THE GULF STREAM. 



By J. W. Fewkes. 



The following list includes nearly all the species obtained in 1883, 

 with the exception of various minute liydroid gonophores, which have 

 not yet been studied, and a few species too imi^erfectly preserved for 



