1883. ] Geology and Paleontology. 189 
Dr. Otto Finsch has returned to Berlin, after two 
and a half years in Polynesia and Australia. He has visited the 
Sandwich, Marshall, and Caroline islands, also New Britain, New 
Zealand, Australia and Tasmania, as well as the islands in Torres 
straits and the south coast of New Guinea, where he stayed six 
months, and instituted compariscns between the Papuans and 
Eastern Melavesians. He brings a rich collection, and is ac- 
companied by a native of New Britain, aged 15. 
GEOLOGY AND PALAZZONTOLOGY. 
_ THE SEDIMENTS OF THE GULF STREAM SLopE.—Professor Ver- 
rill states that the bottom of this slope, in from 70 to 300 fathoms, 
to 120 miles from land, is mainly formed of very fine quartz 
sand, intermixed with feldspar, mica, magnetite, etc., and with a 
considerable percentage of foraminiferous shells. Spherical, rod- 
like and stellate sand-covered rhizopods also often occur in large 
quantities. The sand is often so fine as to resemble mud, and in 
he deeper localities true clayey mud may be met with, yet as a 
Whole the region is characterized by the prevalence of fine sand, 
inche; Jong, fourteen wide and six thick, were dredged up. Pro- 
: fesso: r Verrill believes these to be of deep-sea origin. They differ 
Bi ceous sand cemented together by lime in greater or less abun- 
No rocks of this kind are found on the coast, and it is scarcely 
si te that marine currents sufficiently powerful to erode them 
these depths, but Professor Verrill thinks it possible that 
achment may be due to the habits of certain fishes and 
The hakes (Phycis) root in the mud like pigs for anne- 
other mud-dwelling invertebrates; the Macruri burrow 
bottom tail fir ; the eels are all burrowers, and so are 
s. The action of these creatures would enable the cur- 
the finer materials, and leave the coarser. _ 
