AGASSIZ: LETTERS TO THE HON. GEORGE M. BOWERS. 67 



most interesting types obtained in the tow net I may mention as coming 

 from less than 300 fathoms, Stylophthahnus and Dissoma, botli of which 

 Chun considers as deep-sea fishes, found from 600 to 4000 metres ; 

 also a species of Eufypharyux obtained for the first time in the Pacific. 

 Stylophthahnus I had also caught in a tow net in 1900, during the 

 tropical Pacific Expedition of the " Albatross," in depths of less than 

 300 fathoms. In the lines we ran across the great northerly current 

 which sweeps along the coast of Peru and Chili and is deflected west- 

 ward at the easterly corner of the Galapagos Islands, we obtained with 

 the tow nets an unusually rich pelagic fauna at depths less than 300 

 fathoms. We collected a number of Schizopods, among them many 

 beautifully colored Gnathophausiae, pelagic Macrurans ; huge, bril- 

 liant red Copepods, as well as many other species of blue, gray, mottled, 

 and banded Copepods. Lucifer and Sergestes were abundant in many 

 of our hauls. Many species of Amphipods were collected, Hyperids 

 without number, especially where the surface hauls were made among 

 masses of Salpae, which, on several occasions, formed a jelly of Tuni- 

 cates. Several species of Phronimae also occurred constantly in the tow 

 nets. Sagittae were very numerous, a large orange species being note- 

 worthy. Several species of Tomopteris, some of large size and bril- 

 liantly colored, violet or carmine with yellow flappers, and two species 

 of Pelagonemerteans. Two species of orange-colored Ostracods were 

 also common, one having a carapace with a long spiny appendage. 

 We obtained several species of pelagic Cephalopods, Cranchia and 

 Taonis among them. Two species of Doliolum also occurred, but they 

 were never as abundant as the Salpae, two species of which often con- 

 stituted the whole contents of the tow net. 



In the surface and deeper tows we also procured a number of Acalephs ; 

 we have thus far collected more than 50 species of Medusae and 

 Siphonophores, many of which have been figured by Mr. Bigelow, dif- 

 fering from those of the 1891 Expedition. Atollae, and other deep- 

 sea Medusae, were common within the 300-fathom line. The Salpae 

 guts gave us, in addition to the finer tow nets, immense collections of 

 Radiolarians, Diatoms, Dinoflagellata, many of which have been con- 

 sidered to live at great depth and upon the bottom. The number of 

 Diatoms found in this tropical region is most interesting. They have 

 usually been considered as characteristic of more temperate and colder 

 regions. On several occasions the surface waters were greatly discolored 

 by their presence, and the extent of their influence on the bottom de- 

 posits is shown by the discovery of a number of localities where the 



