10 "ALBATEOSS" EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



As we passed south from the Gahipagos and gradually drew out of the 

 influence of the western current, we entered the same barren region we 

 passed through to the eastward when going to and from Easter Island. By 

 tlie time we reached latitude 15° S., the hauls became quite poor ; this barren 

 bottom district extended to within a short distance of Manga Keva; cor- 

 responding 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 (PI. 3°). 



The samples of the bottom obtained by the soundings taken by the ex- 

 pedition or gathered in the mud-bag and in the trawl indicate that an 

 immense area of the bottom of the Eastern Pacific is covered with manga- 

 nese nodules, and that they play an important part in determining the 

 character of the bottom, not only in the area covered by this expedition but 

 also in other oceanic regions ; the Eastern Pacific area of manganese nodules 

 probably extends to the northwest of our lines to join the stations where 

 manganese nodules were found by the "Albatross" in 1899 in the Moser 

 Basin, on the line San Francisco to Marquesas (PL 3). 



This area may also extend south of our lines, Callao to Easter Island, and 

 join the line west of Valparaiso where the " Challenger " obtained manganese 

 nodules at many stations. I do not mean to imply that manganese nodules 

 are present to the exclusion of radiolarians and of globigerinae. It is prob- 

 able that the layer of nodules is partly covered by them, and by the thick, 

 sticky, dark chocolate-colored mud which is found wherever manganese 

 nodules occur. 



On the northern part of the line, Galapagos (Wreck Bay) to Manga Reva, 

 we did but little work beyond sounding, as we were likely to duplicate our 

 former work to the eastward. The fourth day out, in latitude 5° S., we 

 began a series of trawl hauls, surface hauls, and intermediate towings from 

 the surface to 300 fathoms. In the northern part of the line to iSIanga 

 Reva the hauls were remarkably rich as long as we remained within the 

 influence of the western extension of the Humboldt current, and as long as 

 there dropped from the surface masses of the radiolarians, diatoms, and glo- 

 bigerinae living in the upper waters. Some of the hauls were remarkable 

 for the number of deep-sea Holothurians and silicious sponges. Among the 

 former I may mention a huge Psychropotes, 55 cm. long, and another a large 

 Benthodytes which was viviparous. 



As we passed south and gradually drew out of the influence of the western 



