Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-02-23

latter is essentially coast formation
only found in comparatively shallow
water. close to the shore. Mud be-
gins to take its place the further we
go afield--mud, or rather, ooze. Its
origin varies considerably; a part con-
sists of The alluvial deposits brought
down by rivers. This Ooze is of var.
iOus kinds. Blue oOze is found close
to schistous coasts, and it's hue is i'm
parted to 1t by organic substances and
iron pyrites; 1t covers the floor Of the
Mediterranean and of the Arctic &C.
can. Red OOze Is merely the blue va
riety changed in color by the per-
oxidation of the iron it is also form
ed of the alluvial deposits brought
down by rivers flowing through land
rich in iron, such, for instance, as the
Congo and some rivers of Brazil. Green
ooze, finally, owes it's color to glau-
cOnite; it is found along rocky coasts
where there are no rivers. In many
places the sand or OOZe is mixed with
volcanic elements originating from ter
restrial and submarine explosions. The
inorganic world, however, is not the
only source from which the ocean bed
receives it's supplies of material. The
remains of organic creatures also con-
tribute no mean share. The upper
strata of the sea swarm with teeming
animal life-algae, crustacea, eggs,
larvae, etc.-Of all kinds, which die
daily in Thousands and slowly sink
downward to the lowest depths of the
sea, thus forming continual rain of
corpses of algae, diatoms, ct hoe genus
omne which descend from heights far
exceeding those of Mt. Everest (33,-
1855 feet and other lofty terrestrial
peaks. PrOtOzOidal forms, fOrmaini-
ferae and radiolariae lover a million
of which would not weigh an ounce,
but which are so fertile that one spec.
linen can produce 20 million direct
and indirect descendants in four days)
also play highly important part in
this work. Due to their shells, the
foraminiferae form large quantities
of calcareous deposits. The globiger-
mae and orbulinae (members of this
family form a special ooze which is
found in the bed of the Atlantic, while
the radiolariae form silicious deposits
which abound in the Pacific and In
dian oceans, where a special kind Of
ooze is also found, viz, the pteropod
OOze composed of the shells of pter-
bottom of the Atlantic between Africa
and America and near the Azores.
These OOzes, however, are not perma-
nent. but merely represent phase or
stage. Red, blue, and brown clay is
the only permanent compound; it is
soft, greasy to the touch. and contains
from l to 20 per cent of lime, a little
vitrif1able earth, and organic remains.
hn
turn into red clay, which thus becomes
the final tomb of all that has lived,
moved and had it's being in the sea.
A good deal more might be said
about the strang beings which inhabit
deep waters, feeding upon the bodies
and excrementa continually raining
down from the upper layers of the
waters. But oceanography is not a
pursuit of mere curiosity; it's aims lie
deeper and are of greater value, viz,
the termination of the configuration
and lay of submarine lands so as to
facilitate the laying of cables, the dis
covery of spots where submerged
peaks lie so near to the surface as to
be menace to passing ships, and the
sounding of vast abysmal depths. Fur
Their than this, the sea and the sun are
two great factors determinative of eli
mate, and this is another reason why
oceanography cannot fail to be of the
greatest interest and value to man.
kind
Meantime, the publication of the
new maps in question has proved of
immense value, and too much honor
cannot be paid to the Prince and his
collaborators for their devotion to
science-a devotion which SO far has
brought but empty admiration and eu-
logies.-Scientific American.