1 36 " THETIS " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



life which visit these shores annually. This " cycle of matter in 

 the sea " makes its appearance about the middle of January, and 

 is more or less present on the coast until the latter end of June. 

 It consists of millions of living organisms, moving along the 

 crowded sea animal streets, and contains representatives — either 

 as young or adults — -of almost all groups of marine life. The 

 number of different species wandering about in one of these sea 

 thoroughfares must be very great ; still our knowledge of them 

 is scanty indeed, and will remain so until proper means are taken 

 for their investigation. The results of the "Thetis" Expedition 

 are such that we may reasonably expect to meet with an extremely 

 rich bottom fauna off the coast when it has been systematically 

 explored, and in this connection it is hoped that the Government 

 will furnish the means for a more complete investigation of our 

 marine fauna, particularly in regard to the organisms which 

 constitute the food of fishes. 



As an instance of the remarkable wealth of life, at moderate 

 depths off the coast, mention may be made of a stone that was 

 acquired by the Museum in May, 1898. See Plate xxxii. 



In order to fully realise the number of organisms living on this 

 stone, it will be necessary to give some account of how it was 

 obtained and the treatment it subsequently received. A man 

 while fishing in 30 fathoms off Long Reef, near Manly, suddenly 

 found his line fast, and after much tugging, finally succeeded in 

 hauling it up. When the leaded end neared the surface he saw 

 that his line had become entangled round the stem of a large 

 " sea-fan," the base of which was attached to the corner of a stone 

 nearly thirty pounds in weight. The stone was placed in the 

 bottom of the boat, and when the fisherman returned home he 

 took it with him for the sake of the beautiful "sea-fan." During 

 this rough handling many small active Gasteropods, Annelids, 

 Amphipods, Isopods and Echinoderms doubtless escaped. Next 

 day this object was brought to the Museum, and was handed 

 over to me for preservation. It was washed in fresh water to 

 remove the salt, and the organisms disturbed were carefully 

 collected. The stone is irregularly oval in shape, measuring 35 cm. 

 in length, 26 cm. in breadth, and 10 cm. in height or thickness. 

 The Gorgonia or "sea-fan" which is attached at one corner is a 

 species of Juncella, measuring 90 cm. in height, 60 cm. in breadth ; 

 the greatest diameter of the stem does not exceed 8 mm., while its 

 base forms a circle of about 30 mm. across. 



The whole of the upper surface of the stone is completely 

 covered with animal growths, so that it is impossible to see any 

 portion of the original surface; one patch about the size of a half- 

 crown appeared to be like the naked rock, l)ut is found to be a 

 dried Compound Ascidian. 



