BIOLOGY 



Marine Biology 



Towards mid-winter the ice in a little bay, bounding 

 Cape Iloj^ds on the south, was strong enough to permit of 

 dredging at depths of from six to twenty fathoms. The 

 bottom here was a fine black mud, with larger and small 

 pebbles of kenyte in it. In the mud were embedded large 

 shell- fish, the fragile purple Pecten, the siphon-bearing 

 Anatina, and others. On the pebbles were growing bush- 

 like sponges, and large sea-anemones adhered to them. 

 One or two reddish-brown sea-weeds were plentiful and 

 once or twice we brought up great turnip-like fixed tuni- 

 cates. Ugly and greedy big-headed fishes (Nototheia) , 

 and equally greedy carnivorous whelks of a large size 

 (Neobuccinum) crowded to any bait put down. 



Among the sponges and seaweeds were numerous other 

 forms of life, tube-dwelling worms with beautiful flower- 

 like heads of tentacles; delicate shells, almost invisible to 

 the naked eye, many larger and smaller Crustacea, though 

 none of any considerable size; hairy worms like the sea- 

 mouse with a double row of phosphorescent lamps, flash- 

 ing in succession from head to tail. When captured these 

 worms have a spiteful habit of breaking themselves up 

 into small pieces. 



In this region there is a prevalence of yellow and 

 orange-red colours. The commonest sponges are yellow; 

 so is the sea-anemone. Some of the corals are very bright 

 orange. 



Most of the Crustacea and many worms, star-fish, &c., 

 are orange-red or yellow. All these are bottom forms of 

 life. With the available methods of collecting very little 

 was got in the open water of the sea, away from the bot- 

 tom, only a few small Crustacea, some diatirus, and occa- 

 sionally a few sea-butterflies (Pteropods) of large size 

 and red colour. 



Vol. n.— 18 



273 



