10 



Mr. A. E. Hunt. 



[Apr. 20, 



jar underwent little or no movement after reaching the sea bottom 



that there was very little movement of the gravel there," and 



that " of storm-wave movement there could have been none, and of 

 tidal-wave movement very little."* This reasoning seemed to me very 

 difficult to turn aside, until I was told by one of the crew of the 

 "Pelican" that the jar contained a quantity of gravel, and that it 

 could scarcely have moved, being so weighted. This point seems to 

 me of so much importance that I recently requested Mr. Hayden, the 

 captain of the "Pelican," who did not remember the circumstance, 

 to make further enquiry of the second hand, who had given me the 

 information. He replied as follows : — 



"Brixham, Feb. 16th, 1882. 



" Dear Sir, — I have been speaking to Mr. Dyer about the jar that 

 we caught, and he says he remembers very well about it, and that it 

 was nearly full of very dirty gravel ; and I think the jar did not 

 move on the bottom ; when the bottom gets disturbed it must have 

 washed in the jar. Please to excuse my writing to you only I thought 

 you would like to know. I have got a few shells, and I hope by the 

 time Mr. Baynes comes over again I shall have a basketful. — From 

 J. Hayden, Master of smack ' Pelican.' 



" I think the gravel must have been in the jar a very long time, 

 owing to its being so dirty." 



I have ascertained by measurement that when the jar is laid on its 

 side, the lower internal lip of the neck is 9| inches above the surface 

 on which the jar is resting. The internal diameter of the neck is less 

 than 2 inches. Through this small hole the gravel that filled it must 

 have found its way ; but for it to do this, it was absolutely necessary, 

 either by the motion of the empty jar, or of the gravel, or of both, to 

 get rid of the 9^ inches' of space that, during times of quiescence, lay 

 between them. 



Then, again, when found, the jar was half buried in gravel, and 

 this fact also proves sufficient motion at the bottom in 36 fathoms of 

 water to move gravel whose character has been described by Mr. 

 Pengelly, from the sample left in the jar, as " sub-angular and rounded 

 stones, the largest of which scarcely exceeded a hazel nut in size." 

 The fact that the jar was half- buried is of importance, as it proves 

 motion of the bottom itself, and is not liable to the objection that 

 might possibly be raised (though there is strong evidence to the con- 

 trary) that the jar was full of gravel when lost. 



The evidence of motion afforded by the character of the marine 

 fauna, if considered in detail, would require more space than can be 



* " Trans. Dev. Assoc.," vol. xii, p. 76. 



