New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-01
legitimate field Of natural history. It no longer

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life Its fauna in many cases exhibits series Oh
most elaborate and delicate organisms, OF exquisite
beauty in their soft shades of cOloring ana the THU
bow tints of their marvellous phosphorence, lar sur
passino the invertebrate forms which TEEN gu the
belt of shallow water that fringes the land.
The time has not yet arrived in the opinionot the
author of this volume, for detailed accouhtoi INC
deep-ses fauna. He gives general statement now
ever of the fruits of the recent experiments WHICH
cannot but awaken the deepest interest," III every
class of readers The bottom OF the sea over an
enormous area consists of cacareous sediment Inc
matter brought up by the dredge at the depih Oh
$500 fathoms was chiefly compact mortar, OF
bluish color passing into thin superficial layer,
much softer and more creamy IN conscience and Oh
| a velowish color Under the microscope the surface
LAYER was found to consist mapy of entire shells,
large and small with fragments Of the same mixed
with n cuantlty of shapeless calcareous matter Ill
fine particles a little fine sand, and few spicules OF
| spopges aud other marine products. Below
| the surface the sediment becomes more com
pact and of slight gray color. Perfect
shells almost entirely disappear, fragments become
smaller and ealcareons mud in fine state OF drv1s-
! ion abounds in large proportion This sediment,
there can be no doubt after examination. Is formed
in the main by the accumulation and disntegraton
of certain shells which are fresh, whole, and living
dead. gradually crumbling down by the decomposi-
ton of their organic cement and the pressure of the
LAYERS above-an animal formation not unlike that
of the accumulation of vegetable matter in peat
bog by life and growth above and death, retarded
decompostion and compression beneath
In the bed of the Atlantic generally, the operation
of dredging afforded evidence of considerable guam
tity of soft geatnous organic matter, giving slight
yiscosity to the mud of the surface layer 1t was
| shown by experiment that this matter was capable
of a certain amount of movement, and hence mani
tested the phenomena of very simple form OF me-
This organism if that term can be used where there
is no distinction of organs, consisted apparently OF
| sheet of proteine compound, irritable to a low
degree and capable of assimilating food The spe-
cial interest of this peculiar formation Is derived
from it's enormous extent Ii appears to cover large
| part of the bed of the ocean.
Entangled and borne along in the viscid stream of
these particles of animal life are multitude of mi
mute calcareOus bodies that were Long supposed to
| have some mutual relation with the former In
shane they are somewhat like oval shrt-studs. They
are met with in all stages of development, but their
true character has not yet been determined. vast
| number of other protozoa are found in the same
| company but of their life history we az yet know
| very little.
The casts of the dredge in deep water teach rs
that our knowledge of spOuges is in its infancy.
| Those which we have collected from shallow water
along our shores or which have been brought M
from deep water on fshinglines have surprised us
by the beauty of their forms and the delicacy of
their uster but they are the mere margin and rem
nant of a wonderful sponge-fauna that appears 10
extend in endless variety over the whole of the bot
tom of the sea. An exquisite sponge was found by
Mr. Gwyn JefTeys in 65l fathOms off the mouth of
the Strait of Gibraltar The surface was formed of
network of large spicules, and the sponge was dis
tinguished by having a delicate outer vail about
a centmetre from the surface. Two specimens
of another beautiful sponge dredged by Mr..
Jefreys in 314 fathoms in rocky ground oil Cape st.
Vincent. The larger formed complete vase Of very
elegant proportions 1t came folded together, and
had the appearance of piece of coarse, graycolOred
blanket This sponge seems to live fixed TO stone.
There are no anchoring spicules and the bottom of
the vase had apparently been torn from some attach
ment. Sponges belonging TO other groups from the
deep sea were no less interesting Near the mouth
Of the Strait of Gibraltar number of species were
taken in considerable quantity, forming beautiful
continuous network of silica taking the appearance
OF dehcate lace when boiled in nitric acid.
The services rendered TO science in our own
country by the Coast Survey, and especially by
Count de Pourtaes, of its officers, referred
to by the author in terms Of high and deserved
mendatiOn. In the year 1868, NJ. de pOuTtales COM
menced o series of deep dredgings across the Gulf
Stream off the coast of Florida, which contin
ned in the following year, and which were :" pro-
ductive of most valuable results" Many important
memoirs from his hand have greatly enriched the
pages of different scientific periodicals. and added
much to our knowledge of the deep-sea Gulf-Stream
fauna as well as of the nature of the bottom i'll
those waters.
The progress of marine zoology is related at
length in one of the most interesting portions
of the volume. The first person who
undertook the study of that science with
special reference TO the distribution of marine
animals in space and in time was the late Prof.
Edward Forbes. After investigating the fauna of
the British seasi to the depth of 200 fathoms by
dredging he pursued his operations with great care
in the Kgean at depths varying from one to one
hundred fathOms. He published several works of
great value giving general outline of his views in
regard to the distribution OF marine forms, and their
relation to the phenomena of geology. Prof Forbes
has the credit of opening tho way to the disc sion
of these questions in broad philosophical SCI.
Every new fact in the study illustrates more
clearly the brilliant results that are to be
attained by following his methods With nearly
all the leading naturasts of his time, Forbes was
believer in the immutability of species. But upon
this point the author audeS 10 Tire great change OF
opinion which has taken place within the last ten or
twelve years, due 10 the ability and candOr with
which the question has been treated by Darwin and
Wallace and to the genius of Professor Haeekel Dr.
Fritz Miller and others of their enthusiastic dis
ciples and commentators. The author, however,
states the case too strongly in asserting that there
is now scarcely single competent general naturalist
who is not prepared to accept some form OF the
doctrine of evolution" An illustnOus example TO
the contrary Is found in Professor Agassz,-nOt 10
.---.;... GLamcnIlnr unIrarl ErnahN- Professor