172 



Dr. Carpenter's Preliminary Report [Dec. 17, 



12. The weather again interfered with the prosecution of our inquiry, 

 which had now become of most unexpected interest ; but we were able on 

 the morning of September 1st to obtain a Sounding, in lat. 60° 10' and 

 long. 5° 59', which fully confirmed our previous observations. The depth 

 was here 550 fathoms [1006 metres], and the minimum temperature in- 

 dicated by the mean of two thermometers* (which stood at 3 1 0, 7 and 32°' 5 

 respectively) was 32° [0°Cent.], the surface-temperature being 53° [11°"6 

 Cent.]. There was, however, too much wind for dredging on that day. 



13. On the following day (Sept. 2), in lat. 60° 24' and long. 6° 38', our 

 Sounding gave us a depth of only 170 fathoms [311 metres] ; but even at 

 this depth we found, with a surface-temperature of 52° [ll°'l Cent.], a 

 minimum temperature, indicated by the mean of two thermometerst (which 

 stood at 41J° and 42° respectively), of 41|° [5°*4 Cent.] —that is, about 6° 

 [3°*3 Cent.] lower than the minimum temperature we had found at a like 

 depth when approaching the Faroe Banks (§ 6), and 8° [4° # 4 Cent.] lower 

 than that we subsequently encountered at the like depth when approaching 

 the north coast of Scotland (§ 17). Our Dredgings here afforded evidence 

 of a great abundance and variety of Animal life, Norwegian forms being 

 mingled in a very marked manner with British. In particular we obtained 

 a large number of specimens of Terebratula cranium of unusual size, a 

 beautiful delicately moulded arenaceous triradiate ForaminiferJ, and very 

 large examples of a coarsely arenaceous Rhizopod closely corresponding 

 with the Lituola Soldanii of the Silurian Tertiaries. 



14. On the following day (Sept. 3) we again found ourselves in deep 

 water, our Sounding, taken in lat. 60° 28' and long. 6° 55', giving a 

 depth of 500 fathoms [914 metres]. The minimum indicated by the mean 

 of three thermometers (which registered 31|°, 33^°, and 34° respectively) 

 was 33° [0°-5 Cent.], the temperature of the surface being 51° [10°'5 Cent.]. 

 Here, again, our Dredgings gave the same general results as tbose of pre- 

 vious dredgrags at the like depth and temperature (§ 11); and not only 

 was our previous conclusion confirmed, that a pressure of 100 atmospheres 

 is not incompatible with the existence of numerous and varied forms of 

 Animal life, but we had the gratification of obtaining a specimen of the 

 remarkable Echinoderm Brisinga (one of the Norwegian types specially 

 mentioned in Prof. Wyville Thomson's letter), part of the arms of which 



to ensure its handles being kept down upon the ground, in the position requisite for the 

 ' biting ' of its edge ; but we soon became satisfied that this is effectually done by the 

 weight of the dredge-rope itself, when it has once been deeply submerged. 



* A third Thermometer had been sent down ; but as it registered a minimum of 

 36°-2 [2°-3 Cent.] , we thought it fair to presume that its index had not been carried down 

 as far as the real minimum — a circumstance of frequent occurrence. 



t Our third Thermometer stood on this occasion at 45° [7°*2 C] ; and its reading has 

 not been taken into account, for the reason stated in the preceding note. 



\ This we believe to be the Rhabdammina abyssorum of Sars ; but as no description 

 of the type has yet (so far as we can learn) been published by him, we are unable to 

 identify it with certainty. 



