Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-25
The Depths Of the Sea.
Maea one

For century or more naturaiisls
have knownh great deal concerning
the marine organisms which dwell In
the shallow water neat the shore.
They long ago learned the amazing
richness of these littotal forms. The
census of species amounts now 10 more
than one hundred thousand distinct
forms; Il Ia, however. Of late that they
have nsCeftained that the deeper paris
Of the Uceau.ilOOrs have ALTO an
abundant ana varied peOpling. The
greater part u these shore dwellers nrc
exceedingly int1lvraut OF the enor-
nous pressure Oi the deeper waters,
~ well as OF Inc low temperature and
total darkness which exist there. Ger
tain forms have, however, acquired
the ability 10 Withstand these
peculiar conditions, ~ generation
by generation through the geologic
ages that have crept away from the
realms Of fierce combat next the shores,
10 the least contested fields Of the open
aud deeper seas. Through all the
geologic ages This selectiOn OF eHpe.
cially prepared gruups for the singular
stations OF habits Of the ocean dvpths
has ben going 0n, with the result That
| the life oi those dark and pressure
hardened regions are now trunnted by
1 UmiuUutly peculiar by species
which ever surprise the student VINO
| liz accustomed ~ ne 20 tie forms which
/ dwell near the 7hOfe.
one OF the most striking foa,urra
/ connected with the animals Of the
/ deep scps, h the frequency with which
| we nud there living specimens which
! reminis ne Of kinds which In former
| geologic periods uwelt IA the coastal
] districts VI the ocean,. 10 seems That
many o.; these ancient creA'uf,s,
when they no longer cauId
| hold theiG own hgaiuat the more
| highly organized aud developed rni-
mails which inhabited the favored e'n-
ti0ns next the shores, shfuuk away
into the deep water, and ma that uu.
desired parl OF the world found an
asylum, where, amid the changeless
environment, they have dwelt fUr
pges, unalteIpd. Thus the vast pro-
POUNDS OF the deep have become sort
OF almshOusc, whercurtO antlquatud
forms have retired before the over
wi Ginning tTcssuFe which the newer
and higher lie ever imposes on ita
aucCslors. From the results Of tbo
relatively tridlng explorations which
have, hs yet, boon mRde, there seems
good rrnsun TO hope that In time We
may win from the deep the nearest
living representations OF many ctea
lures which once occupied n large
place IN the seas, but now have abqu'
lonrd the fields OF mole active conhnt,
which are usually the seat OF the
greatest advance.
In the prosounior seas tho inverto
bra % life appears To have n larger shRr,
than Is secured by the Vcrtybipi OF
backhlned animals; yet there ave o
number Of fishes known iu thes,
dupihs, and II seems likely that thee,
tenants ot the deep may bo numbereJ
by thousands Of species. Among ia,
filmed tenants Of che profOuudtr part
Of the ocean, we find the most rtaTtl
lug DEPARTURES from the types viii
which wa ave familiar In C0as,a
waters. Ia general shape they diile
little from their kindred which dwell
iu the suulit shall0ws. The differences
are largely IN the mechanism OF tht
senses, especially OF the eyes. rhos,
organs undergo surprising variation
with reference to the enduring Of tn
darkness Of these deeps. In certain O
the species the sight not only falls, bu
the visual apparatus entirely ditsp
pears; In others the eyebnlls buCom,
very much enlarged aud the nervou
apparatus Increased, and are eVi
IDENTIFY arranged to catch mere glimpse
OF light. AZ II " certain that M
tTnce OF sunlight can ever peneiTat,
through the deep which Overlles tn
realm where these animals dwell, tn
, adaptation OF these eyes 10 the needs o
! A oil n al tn, lss
very iuexplica1le matter. some 70
cent discoveries provide us with wha
seem TO be an adequate explanation q
the enigma. II mas be eu found tina
certain OF the denlzens Of the deep sea
floors have phOsphorescont parts q
their bodies which serve 10 give ligh
in the manner In which II Is yielde
by the bmiliar frrilios and glow worm,
Z The eud secured by these light.givin
p parts II probably the attraction Of tn
} sexual mates OF the creatures. In IA
! utter darkness OF the ocean this indls
penslble end could he attained In n
other way; even the fishes appear I
/, have this beautiful provision for avoid
ing the most serious evils Of the darl
1 mess in which they are compelled
: exist.
Y II Is evident that the fishes wit
o large eyes would also have a decide
advantage IN the pursuit OF food, (,
their keen v sion would enable them
discern the glimmer OF the phospho
esoeut light Tor some distance throug
the still, clear water. The dlnicult
comes In the case Of those fshus whic
p undur the same general condition
= OF existence In darkness, combine
a with the same need OF food, and
,, finding their mates, have not oul
y inilod 20 better their alqht, but hn,
D abandoned " altogether There /
i pefhaps, no other simple instance
.. which we may 20 well rercoi,
the cardinal difficulty which q
q eItrcmo selecliouist encounters
. HE effort 10 explain al the complies
"a lions OF the organic world by the sing
d hypothesis Of the survival Of the tttr,
Here nrc two groups Of like crcatur
n introduced 20 the conditions OF utt
darkness after long ages of experlcn,
In the realms Of light under circuu
stances which, 90 far as we can 10
oeive,a are absolutely identical, the ere
n lures enter upon widely divergent nat
B, J Of variation. The lessbu Wa nnay -.