Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-31

ers. There are plenty Of true crabs, mol
lusks, sea urchins and glass sponges. Long
before science dreamed that there was any
life at the bottom Of the sea fishermen Of
Japan used to fetch up such spougas, re-
semblng plumes Of spun glass, which-that
Is 70 say. the skeletons-were regarded in
Europe as ourtosities OF japanese art
Feeding ON the Dead.
One Of the first things to call attention
to the existence Of q fauna in the depths
was the finding Of various animals growing
on a cable extending between Sardinia and
Africa The scientific experts were puzzled
at the beginning as to the nature Of a
curious organic slime that was brought up
from the bottom, sometimes in such GUAM
titles as to befoul the dredges with its glairy
substance like white Of egg. They imagin-
eo that 1t was primordial life-stuff from
wMch an life on the earth might originally
nave been derived. and they gave it the
name Of "bathybius," or "depth-life" But
subsequent Investigation has proved that
1t Is composed Of the decaying bodies of
creatures that have died at or near the
surface and have sunk to the bottom. De-
composition progresses very slowly in deep
water: being retarded by cold and absence
OF nsht- Thus a thin layer Of highly-nu-
the ocean floor, 80 that the animals living
tnere are at no loss for food.
1t has been said that the most thickly
populated tropical Jungle does not compare
coral reef. The shadows Of the ocean are
vastly rich in both flora and fauna Along
the continental slopes long stretches of
oottom are fairly carpeted with brilliantly
coi0reo creatures closely packed together,
with here and there a forest of seaWeeds
PROFESSOR Alexander Agassiz says: at re-
CURES but little Imagination to note the
contrasts as we pass from the shadows full
Of sunlight and movement, into the dimiy-
isnted put richly populated middle waters;
men TURNER TO conceive the gradual de-
crease OF the continental fauna as it fades
INTO the calm, cold, dark abyssal regions of
the ocean floor. The monotony drea riness
ana desolation Of the deeper parts Of this
Sun1nar1ne scenery can scarcely be realized
me most barren districts of dry land must
seem diversified when compared with the
vast expanse of grayish or sometimes green
lsn ooze which covers the bottom Of the
ocean, monotony only relieved by the
raii VI tne oead carcasses Of surface ami
ward WY
Torch-Bearinx Animals,
However, though sunlight is wholly alb
sent and the temperature Of the depths is
In the neighborhood of freezing point ALI
Is not darkness. The abyssal animals are
commonly provided with means OF il,umi
nation Swimming among forests of sea
.ans, whlch become luminous as the cur
rents cause them to move, torch bearing
nshes pass In procession. Some of them
carry lights on their heads or fins. like
electrlc bulbs. while others are provided
with search-lights which thew can turn on
or off at will, as they may wish to attract
prey or to conceal themselves The pres
sure, so far down. is enormous amounting
70 several tons to the square inch, but the
bodies of the fishes are SO permeated With
water, even their bones being soft and car
uiaehous. that they do not experience any
inconvenience. When drawn to the surface
Iney are apt to burst open; their swim
ming bladders protrude from their mouths
ana their scales fall off.
JUST as the fishes here described live in the
oeptns or the sea, SO do we ourselves dwall
IN IN me depths OF another fluid, which we
call the atmosphere. Suppose that some
strange and remarkable creatures occupyine
tne upper ether should fish for US thence
with some ingenious contriyances of their
own own, On being fetched up to height of
twenty miles, say. from the surface OF the
eartn, our appearance would be sadly al
Tered Our eyes would be starting from,
tnelr sockets. our tongues would hang out
OF our mouths, and, II not already defnnrt
we would Immediately die This would h.
IN part because We were removed from tho
pressure to which We are customariiv snh.
Jected. soo
Cold Even in the Tropics.
1t Is the same way with the fishes and
otner creatures Of the depths. The crabs
and other crustaceans. when brought to the
surface. look as If they were boiled. On enc
occasion the officers of the coast survey
steamer Blake, at that time engaged IN
deep-sea dredging, lowered a hottie of
champagne to 2,4OO fathoms They wanted
70 cool IL, being In the tropics and having no
ice. me nottle came up cold. but filled with
muddy salt water, which had been forced bv
the pressure through foil and cork. replac
ing the more palatable original contents
Aoyssal sea urchins, molusks and crusta
Seans nave been kept alive for a good many
uays by freezing them in ice 1t is said to
be very interesting to draw I'D in the tra MI
ron equatorial waters, mud that is SO
cold as to almost freeze the hand AS
matter Of fact, the water OF the tronioaI
ocean below couple Of thousand feet never
rises above 40 degrees Fahrenheit
Naturally, the surface fauna Of the warm
Gu!I stream is as rich as that of any ocean
water in the world. At the same time Tho
bottom over which this current flows iS
swept almost bare Of animal life Amone
me curiosities brought up by dredging from
the depths are great numbers of the teeth
OF sharks and the bones of ceta ceanS IT,
FORMER. or course, are protected from de-
struction by the hardness of their enamel
among the latter. the earbones of whales.
oeine extremely hard, are conspicuous The
only perfectly equipped deep-sea exploration
vessel af1oat Is the United States fish CON-
mission steamer Albatross which has done
q vast amount Of this sort of work II cor
make dredge from the ocean floor In IT,.
hours: whereas the famous Challenger re-
CURED twenty-four hours for a similar on
Grafton. w
From the oceanic deposits OF TODAY NAV
be studied the formation of the rocks ~
past ages. In fact science rebuiIds from
them the geology of vanished epochs. on
the shores of Florida the travis have brought
up fragments or limestone actually in pro-
cess OF formation. being composed OF the
hard parts OF mollusks. sea urchins corals
sea cucumbers. crustaceans &C., recently
dead. or such material is mainly Composed
the great submarine plateau which extenJs
to the south and west Of the Florida penin-
sula- The keys and reefs are exposed DOR.
tons OF this plateau
RENE BACHE