27^ THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. [chap. vi. 



of unusually fiae globigerina deposit and some small 

 stones. The second instrument came up quite full of 

 the deposit ; but it was neither so free from amorphous 

 matter, nor did it contain any of the small stones. 

 Adhering, however, to the last fifty fathoms of line, 

 which had rested on the ground for several moments, 

 were thirteen ophiocomJE, varying in diameter across 

 the arms from two to five inches." The misfortune 

 of these star-fishes was that they did not go into the 

 dredge ; had they done so, they would at once have 

 achieved immortality. Now, of course, we have no 

 doubt that they came from the bottom, but their 

 irregular mode of appearance left, in the condition 

 of knowledge and prejudice at the time, a loophole 

 for scepticism. 



In three soundings, including that in which the 

 star-fishes were obtained, at 1,260, 1,913, and 1,268 

 fathoms respectively, " minute jcylindrical tubes oc- 

 curred, varying from one-eighth to half an inch in 

 length, and from one-fiftieth to one-twentieth of an 

 inch in diameter. These were built up almost ex- 

 clusively of very small globigerina shells, and still 

 more minute calcareous d6bris cemented together.'' 

 . . . . " The shells forming the outer layer of the 

 tubes were colourless, and freed of all sarcodic 

 matter; but the internal surface of the tubular 

 cylinder was lined with a delicate yet distinct layer 

 of reddish chitine." Dr. Wallich is satisfied that 

 these tubes contained some species of annelid. " In 

 a sounding taken in lat. 63° 31' N., long. 13° 45' W., 

 in 682 fathoms, a portion of a serpula-iuhe five- 

 twelfths of an inch in length, and about three- 

 sixteenths of an inch in diameter, belonging to a 



