GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF MARINE 
ORGANISMS. 
The Challenger observations seem to prove conclusively that life is distributed all over 
the floor of the ocean. At the very greatest depths no dredgings or trawlings have as yet 
been taken, but in the muds or clays brought up in the sounding tubes from these great 
deeps there were remains of Foraminifera and Sponges which apparently lived at these 
depths. It may be interesting here to recall a few of the results obtained in single 
hauls of the trawl or dredge at some of the deep-water stations, where the operations were 
regarded as successful. Without taking into consideration the Protozoa, we find that : — 
In 3125 fathoms (Station 253), on Eed Clay with dredge, 20 specimens belonging to Distribution of 
10 species were obtained. 
In 2900 fathoms (Station 244), on Red Clay with trawl, 70 specimens belonging to ™e Ocean. 
32 species were obtained. 
In 2600 fathoms (Station 160), on Red Clay with trawl, 50 specimens belonging to 
30 species were obtained. 
In 2300 fathoms (Station 241), on Red Clay with trawl, 100 specimens belonging to 
35 species were obtained. 
In 1950 fathoms (Station 157), on Diatom Ooze with trawl, 150 specimens belonging 
to 79 species were obtained. 
In 1850 fathoms (Station 106), on Globigerina Ooze with trawl, 100 specimens 
belonging to 38 species were obtained. 
In 1600 fathoms (Station 147), on Diatom Ooze with trawl, 200 specimens belonging 
to 89 species were obtained. 
In 1375 fathoms (Station 300), on Globigerina Ooze with trawl, 200 specimens 
belonging to 52 species were obtained. 
In 1100 fathoms (Station 168), on Blue Mud with trawl, 150 specimens belonging to 
44 species were obtained. 
In 700 fathoms (Station 169), on Blue Mud with trawl, 120 specimens belonging to 
70 species were obtained. 
In 600 fathoms (Station 320), on Blue Mud with trawl, 500 specimens belonging to 
127 species were obtained. 
In this enumeration a few of the Molluscs may have been described from their dead 
shells, but otherwise all the organisms referred to were alive on or near the floor of the 
ocean at the time of capture. ' These results clearly indicate a great abundance of life 
at all depths and on all the different varieties of deep-sea deposits. 
