The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-29

abled to mention to you the latest results OBJ
tanned in an expedition which could not have
been undertaken without the aid of Govern
ment, an aid which was freely given Last
year DIR. Carpenter and Professor Wyville
Thomson represented to the President and
Council of the Royal Society the great i'm
portance to zoology and palmontology of OBJ
tanning soundings from great depths In the
ocean, and suggested to them to use their in
huence with the Admiralty to induce them to
place gunboat, or other suitable yJssel at
the disposal of those gentlemen and any
other naturalists who might be willing to
accompany them for the purpose of carry
ing on systematic course of deep-sea
dredging for a month or six weeks. This
application was forwarded to the Admiralty
with the warm support of the President
aud Council, and was readily acceded to. The
operations were good deal impeded by rough
weather, but nevertheless important results
were obtained Dredging was successfully
accomplished at depth of 600 fathoms; and
the existence was established of varied and
abundant submarine Fauna, at depths which
had generally been supposed to be either
azoic, or occupied by animals of a very low
type; and the character of the Fauna and of
mud brought up was such as to point to
chalk formation actually going on.
1t seemed desirable to carry the soundings
to still greater depths, and to examine
more fully the changes of temperature
which had been met with in the des-
cent. Another application was accord
ingly made to the Admiralty in the present
year, and was no less readily acceded to than
the former; and larger vessel than that used
last year is now on her cruise. | am informed
by Dr. Carpenter that dredging has been
successfully carried down to more than 24OO
fathoms (nearly the height of Mont Blanc),
and that animal life has been found even at
that depth in considerable DdrSety, though its
amount and Kind are obviously influenced by
the reduction of temperature to Arctic cold
ness. A very careful series of temperature
soundings has been taken, showing, on the
same spot, continuous descent of tempera-
ture with the depth, at first more rapid, after
wards pretty uniform. Thermometers pro-
tected from pressure by plan described by Dr.
Miller were found to maintain their character
at the great depths reached, the difference
between them and the best ordinary ther-
mometers used in the same sounding being
exactly conformable to the pressure cor
responding with each depth, as determined by
the experiments previously made in smaller
depths. All the observations hitherto made
go to confirm the idea of a general inter
change of polar and equatorial water the
former occupying the lowest depths the latter
forming a superficial stratum of 700 or 800
fathoms. The analyses of the water brought
up indicate a large proportion of carbonic acid
in the gases of the deep waters, and general
diffusion of organic matter.
COPPER IN ANIMALS.
The Turaco, or Plaintain eater, of the Cape
of Good Hope is celebrated for it's beautiful
plumage. A portion of the wings is of fine
red color. This red coloring matter has been
investigated by Prof. Church. who finds it to
contain nearly six per cent of copper, which
cannot be distinguished by the ordinary tests,
nor removed from the coloring matter with
out destroying it. The coloring matter is, in
fact, natural organic compound, of which
copper is of the essential constituents
Traces of this metal had previously been
found in animals for example, in oysters, to
the cost of those who partook of them. But
in these cases the presence of the copper was
merely accidental; thus oysters that lived
near the mouths of streams which
came down from the copper mines
assimilated a portion of the copper salt,
without apparently it's doing them either
good or harm. But in the Turaco the exs-
tence of the red coloring matter, which be-
longs to their normal plumage, is dependent
upon copper, which, obtained in minute guam
titles with the food, is stored up in this
strange manner in the system of the animal
Thus, in the very same feather, partly red
and partly black, copper was found in abun-
dance in the red parts, but none, or only the
merest trace in the black.
This example warns us against taking
too utilitarian q view of the plan of crea-
ton. Here we have a chemical substance
elaborated which is perfectly unique in its
nature, and contains metal the salts
of which are ordinarily regarded as poisonous
to animals; and the sole purpose to which,
so far as we know, it is subservient in the
animal economy is one of pure decoration.
Thus, pair of birds which were kept in
captivity lost their fine red color in the course
of few days, in consequence of washing in
the water which was left them to drink, the red
coloring matter which is soluble in water,
being thus washed out; but except as to the
loss Of their beauty, it does not appear that
the birds were the worse for it.