in the Ocean at the South Pole. 
117 
appear destructive to such organisms, just doubts have been raised 
whether organic life could actually subsist at great depths. 
Wollaston, moreover, in 1840, proved that at the great depth of 
670 fathoms, in the Mediterranean Sea off Gibraltar, the propor¬ 
tion of salt in the water was four times greater than at the surface. 
Very accurate and scientific investigations upon the amount of 
salts of the sea had been already published by Lens in Peters¬ 
burg during 1830 ; and Mr. Lyell, in his “ Geology” of 1840, was 
induced to regard the observations of Wollaston not as simply in¬ 
dicating a local phenomenon, but to conclude that at still greater ' 
depths the relative proportion of saline matter would be still more 
remarkable, and must progress in a similar advancing ratio. 
Lastly, Elie de Beaumont, in 1841, adopted the opinion, that 
the limits to which the waters of the sea had been found by Siau 
capable of being set in motion, must be also those at which ses¬ 
sile marine animals could exist, since these have to wait for their 
food, which in this way only could be conveyed to them, and that 
consequently the limits of stationary organic life, taken in con¬ 
junction with the depth of the waves, could not much exceed 
200 metres or 600 feet. 
Such considerations, deeply affecting the general science of 
geology, and to which must be added observations upon the 
increase of temperature towards the centre of the earth, have 
ever suggested as an interesting matter for enquiry to the author, 
to examine minute organic life in relation to the depth of the 
element in which it could exist. 
Science indeed owes a great debt of gratitude to those travellers 
who have so industriously provided the materials of this investiga¬ 
tion ; in respect of which materials it may be observed generally, 
that they are very rich in quite new typical forms, particularly in 
genera, of which some contain several species ; these, occasionally 
with some mud and fragments of small crustaceans, form the chief 
part of the mass. The new genera* and species are here recorded, 
and of these the Asteromphali are very remarkable, from their par¬ 
ticularly beautiful stellate forms. 
• Of the 7 new genera of Polygastrica, viz.. Annulus . Aster omphalus, ChaUocrros , 
Halt onyx, Heminu/us, Hemizostrr , and TriauUicias, short characters are given in the 
Proceedings of the Academy : also of the 7! new species. 
