74 
strenghtens the theory of the Banda group representing a parallel 
to the said mountains. 
One of the special features of the Bromo is the celebrated 
“sand-sea”, an immense flat of black, smooth sand, occupying the 
space between the active Bromo crater and the outer crater wall. 
The same thing is found in the Banda group, the seabottom 
between Lontor, Neira and Goenoeng Api forming a quite 
similar flat of fine black sand, the difference being only that here 
in Banda the depth is in two places considerably deeper, viz. off 
a small place named Kombir, on the Bast end of Lontor, and be¬ 
tween Neira and Goenoeng Api, forming here two deep holes of 
ca. 100 Meters. (Fig. 3.) 
This black sand bottom, consisting of volcanic ash, appears to 
be rather unfavourable to animal life. This is apparently not in 
accordance with the results of the researches undertaken by the 
Siboga and the Challenger, Prof. Max Weber especially mention- 
ing „l’abondance des animaux marins qui y vivent^ (Introduction, 
p. 107). The contradiction is, however, only apparent. I have in some 
dredgings found a really abundant animal life, thus once off Kombir 
(Lontor) in ca. 75—90 Meters numerous small solitary corals and 
molluscs; but mostly the result of the dredgings was very poor. Some- 
times, when the dredge came up after having been dragged over 
the bottom for half an hour or more, it was found to contain al¬ 
most nothing — a small Gorgonian or a small sponge. Thus f. i. 
in the deep basin — 100 —120 M. — between Neira and Goenoeng 
Api; but also in shallower water (20—30 M.) the result of the dred¬ 
gings was generally very poor. Evidently it is only in small patches 
that a rich fauna is found. Thus it was impossible to find again 
that patch off Kombir, where the haul rich in solitary corals was 
made; several other hauls made in very approximately the same 
place all gave very poor results. This relative poor result of the 
dredgings lead to gradually giving up dredging and employing the 
diver alone. He, having the freedom of moving about over a con- 
siderable area and collecting what he chooses, has, of course, a great 
advantage over the dredge which must keep to the straight line. 
The fear that he should be able to find only the larger organisms 
soon proved groundless. After he had learned what sort of animals 
we wanted, it was really astonishing what he could bring up also of 
