1868.] 



on Deep-sea Dredgings. 



177 



mometers (registering 45J° and 46J° respectively), was 46° [7°* 7 Cent.], 

 the temperature of the surface being 52° [11°*1 Cent.]. 



21. Still proceeding southwards, we reached in lat. 58^° the locality in 

 which we hoped, from soundings previously made and recorded, to be able 

 to extend our inquiries to greater depths ; but unfortunately a breeze had 

 now set in from the N.E., which was strong enough to prevent us not 

 only from dredging but even from sounding ; and this breeze freshened 

 on the night of Sept. 19 to a gale, which made it prudent to seek the 

 shelter of the land by running to the eastward. Notwithstanding a partial 

 abatement on the afternoon of the next day, it was considered by Capt. 

 May that, having due regard to the uncertain aspect of the weather, to the 

 state of the barometer, and to the season of the year, as well as to the fact 

 that the time assigned by the Admiralty for our remaining at sea was on 

 the point of expiring, it would not be prudent to hold on as we were, for 

 the slight chance of being able to accomplish our object. Our course was 

 therefore directed to Oban, which we reached on the afternoon of 

 Sept. 21 *. 



General Results. 



Before proceeding to sum up the general results of our inquiries, and to 

 indicate the conclusions to which these seem to point, I think it desirable 

 to give a brief notice of the researches of those who had preceded us in 

 the same line of inquiry. 



The earliest instance I have been able to find in which living Animals 

 were brought up from great depths in the Ocean, occurred in the Arctic 

 Expedition (1818) of Captain (afterwards Sir John) Ross, and is men- 

 tioned in the narrative of his f Voyage of Discovery ' f . General 

 Sabine, who was a member of that Expedition, has been kind enough 

 to furnish me with the following more ample particulars of this occur- 

 rence : — "'The ship sounded in 1000 fathoms, mud, between one and 

 two miles off shore (lat. 73° 37' N., long. 75° 25' W.) ; a magnificent 

 Asterias caput-medusce was entangled by the line and brought up with 

 very little damage. The mud was soft and greenish, and contained spe- 

 cimens of Lumbricus tubicola? So far my written journal ; but I can 

 add, from a very distinct recollection, that the heavy deep-sea weight had 

 sunk, drawing the line with it, several feet into the very soft greenish 

 mud, which still adhered to the line when brought to the surface of the 

 water. The Starfish had been entangled in the line so little above the 

 mud, that fragments of its arms, which had been broken off in the ascent 

 of the line, were picked out from amongst the mud." 



It hence seems indubitable that the Asterias (Astrophyton) and the 

 Tubicolar Annelids were brought up from the bottom ; and the only doubt 



* This gale, being from the East, was but little felt on the West coast of Scotland ; 

 but we afterwards learned that it had done much damage on the East coast, 

 t Vol. i. p. 251, and Appendix, vol. ii. p. 178. 



