A, E. Verrill—Dredgings on the Coast of New England. 18 
between St. George’s Bank and the coasts of Maine and Nova 
Scotia, and hence sheltered to some extent by the banks from, 
the action of the powerful currents, which sweep over their 
outer sides and summit, and which appear to be sufficient to 
prevent the accumulation of fine sediments in that region, even 
at the depth of 430 fathoms, while in all shallower depths the 
bottom was wholly of gravel, sand, and shells. At the sum- 
mit of the banks (St. George’s Shoal and Cultivator Shoal) 
the water is very shallow,—so much so that the waves break 
there in heavy storms,—and the bottom is composed of mov- 
ing sands, almost barren of life in some places. 
e existence of powerful currents in this region was fully 
demonstrated this season .by the Bache, and their velocity was 
ascertained in some localities. Mr. Smith also tells me that 
even far to the eastward of St. George’s Bank, where no bot- 
tom was found at 1800 fathoms, the conflicting currents were 
s ” 
sufficient to produce heavy “rip 
: hiteaves during 
the summers of 1871 and "72, resembles that of Dr. Packard's 
Atlantic. The fauna was essentially the same in the three 
muddy localities explored by Dr. Packard, and referred to 
above, viz. : in (0) 110, (p) 85, and (s) 150 fathoms ; the tempera- 
tures of the surface (Oct. 12th), were 56°, 56°, and 52° F. 
respectively ; and of the bottom 49°, 49°, and 52°. These 
bottom temperatures are doubtless to be corrected for a con- 
