B0TT0:M FAITXA OF THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC. 11 



current, we entered the same barren region we passed through to the east- 

 ward when going to and from Easter Island. By the time we reached 

 latitude 15^ S., the hauls became quite poor ; this barren bottom district 

 extended to within a short distance of Manga Reva ; corresponding to it 

 we found a most meagre pelagic fauna, both at the surface and down to 

 300 fathoms — so poor that it could afford but little food to the few species, 

 if any, living on the bottom in that region. 



The extensive barren area of the Eastern Pacific is situated a consider- 

 able distance frtfrn land. It is bounded on the north by the curve indicating 

 the position of — h on PI. 3^', it is out of the track of great oceanic currents. 

 Similar but less extensive barren tracts have been indicated by the trawling 

 of the "Albatross Tropical Pacific Expedition," and by those of the "Chal- 

 lenger" in the Central Pacific, and in the line from the Paumotus to Valpa- 

 raiso. All these areas are at a distance from land where no food comes 

 from telluric sources owing to the steep continental sloj^es of the adjoining 

 continents. 



We left Port Rikitea for Acapulco on the 4th of February to anchor off 

 Aka-Maru ; on the 5th we left our anchorage, sounded off the east face of 

 Manga Reva, and took photographs of the islands from characteristic points. 



On our way north from Manga Reva to Acapulco we did not begin to 

 trawl or tow until warned by the contents of the surface-nets that the surface 

 was becoming richer in animal and vegetable life (PI. 3 ) and also by indica- 

 tions of the surface temperatures showing that we had reached the southern 

 edge of the cold western equatorial current (PI. 3"). A little north of 10", 

 south latitude, we made our first trawl haul and deep tow, and found a very 

 rich fauna down to the 300-fathom line, recalling the pelagic fauna of the 

 northern extremity of the eastern lines and fully as rich. On trawling we 

 found, as we expected a very rich bottom fauna. 



Among the animals brought up in the trawl there were some superb 

 Hyalonemas, silicious sponges, Benthodytes and other deep-sea Holothurians, 

 fine specimens of Freyella, and some large Ophiurans. This haul is interest- 

 ing as showing that in the track of a great current, carrying an abundance of 

 food, we may find at a very considerable depth (2422 fathoms) an abundant 

 fauna even at very great distances from continental lands. We were, at this 

 station (4740), about 2140 miles from Acapulco, 1200 miles from Manga 

 Reva, 1700 miles from the Galapagos, and about 900 miles from the 

 Marquesas. 



