on board H.M.S. 'Challenger.' 515 



There was a section of over a foot ; it was of a chocolate-colour 

 throughout, except two small yellow spots. 



Sounding 310. 23rd October, 1875. 2550 fathoms. Lat, 39° 47' S., 

 long. 131° 20' W. Two small pieces of manganese and three small 

 pieces of a cherty-like mineral in the tube ; a trace of brown mud on 

 the outside of the tube indicating a bottom like the last. 

 In the trawl were many rounded manganese nodules to which some 

 traces of mud adhered. The nodules had nuclei of sharks' teeth, tym- 

 panic bones of cetacea, agate-like minerals, pieces of bones ; and in all cases 

 these were deeply imbedded in manganese, in some cases a coating of 

 over an inch in concentric layers. It is curious and significant that not 

 much (other than a trace) clay came up in the sounding-tube, the bag of the 

 trawl, or in the tow-nets attached to the trawl and weight. All this 

 indicates that the manganese was in great abundance at this spot. 



Sounding 311. 25th October, 1875. 2300 fathoms. Lat. 39° 16' S., 

 long. 124° 7' W. A streak of black manganese on the outside of 

 the tube, as if it had been rubbed against a nodule. A small portion 

 of mud adhered to the water-bottle, which indicated a dark chocolate 

 clay containing : — Amorphous clayey matter ; much manganese ; 

 piece of a red mineral ; a few remains of pelagic Foraminif era and 

 some Coccoliths.- 



Sounding 312. 27th October, 1875. 2250 fathoms. Lat. 39° 13' S., 

 long. 118° 49' W. On the outside of the tube a streak of manga- 

 nese, as if it had struck a nodule. Inside the tube a little light 

 brown clay containing : — Amorphous clayey matter ; many particles 

 of a black manganese and of a red mineral ; a good many pelagic 

 Foraminif era and Coccoliths. 

 The trawl brought up one small manganese nodule. The frame of the 



trawl had many streaks of manganese. 



Sounding 313. 29th October, 1875. 1600 fathoms. Lat. 38° 44' S. } 

 long. 112° 34' W. A Globigerina-ooze containing : — Great numbers 

 of pelagic and a few other Foraminif era ; many Coccoliths and 

 Ehabdoliths ; many manganese grains and one or two particles of a 

 red mineral. 

 There was very little amorphous matter in this sounding ; the brown 



colour is due to the presence of the manganese grains. 



Sounding 314. 1st November, 1875. 2025 fathoms. Lat. 39° 4' S., 

 long. 105° 5' W. A Globigerina-oom of a red colour containing : — 

 Very many pelagic Foraminif era and others ; Coccoliths and Bhab- 

 doliths and Cypridina-YSihes ; some amorphous clayey matter; 

 many manganese particles, and some particles of red, yellow, and 

 black minerals. 

 The lower layers were of a darker colour than the upper ones, and 



