m
deep-coral zone as low down as the fisherman’s line can be sunk, and adds, “ As
to the point at which animal life ceases, it must be somewhere; but with
us it is unknown. As the vegetation ceases at a line far above the deepest
regions of animal life, of course the zoophagous mollusca are altogether predominant
in these pai’ts, whilst the phytophagous are more peculiar to the upper
regions.”
And lastly, Professor Phillips, in a very recent work on the ‘ Origin and Succession
of Life on the Earth*,’ sums up what was kno^vn regarding the
“ infiuence of depth on the distribution of life in the se a” with this observation—“
That it appears that the relative fertility of the several zones decreases
towards zero; and it is believed that at 300 fathoms life is extinct.”
Having thus shown how universally the opinion has been entertained that
animal life is limited to depths which vary slightly in different localities with
the downward range of the deep-coral zone, I would now direct attention to the
nature of the evidence that has hitherto been adduced in support of an opposite
view, by three writers whose names will always be associated with great scientific
discoveries in their respective departments, namely. Sir John Ross, Sir James
Ross, and Professor Ehrenberg.
In order to remove aU doubt as to the value of the data furnished by Sir John
Ross’s soundings in I 8 I8 f , 1 subjoin such extracts from his work as bear at all
on the subject, premising that, out of 59 soundings at depths exceeding 100
fathoms, 23 ranged from 270 to 1050 fathoms,—the apparatus employed being
the “ deep-sea clams ” specially designed by Sir John Ross for deep-sea dredging.
On the 31st of August, lat. 74° 03' N., long. 81° 28' AV., he writes as follows:—
“ About six it fell nearly calm for a short time, and we sounded with the deep-
sea clams, which brought up a quantity of mud, in which were five worms of a
species that had not been seen before. There were only 650 fathoms of line
out, consequently there could not be more than that depth of water; but there
might have been much less, which was probably the case, as the swell was so great
that it was uncertain, after 200 fathoms, when the machine reached the bottom.”
* ‘ Life on, the Earth, its Origin and Succession,’ by John Phillips, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S., &c. &c.
London, I860': p. 16 et seq.
t ‘ A Voyage of Discovery for the piuposc of Exploring BaflSn’s Bay,’ by Sir John Ross, K.S.,
Royal Navy. London, 1819: vol. i. pp. 247, 251, and vol. ii. pp. 5, 49.
On the 1st of September, lat. 73° 37' N., long. 75° 25' W., it is stated that
“ soundings were obtained correctly in 1000 fathoms, consisting of soft mud in
which there were worms ; and entangled on the sounding-line, at the depth of
800 fathoms, was found a beautiful Caput Medusæ : these were carefully preserved,
and will be found described in the appendix*.”
On the 6th of September, lat. 72° 23' N., long. 73° 07' AV., “ At six, it being
quite calm, and the water smooth, we sounded with the deep-sea clams, and
found 1050 fathoms, which were the deepest soundings ever reached in Baffin’s
Bay. As we had only 120 fathoms fifteen miles further north, it is evident that
the bottom of the sea, like the land, must here be very mountainous. The mud
at the bottom was so soft that the instrument was completely buried, and it
required considerable force to draw it out. The sea being a dead calm, the line
was perfectly perpendicular, and we had a good opportunity of obtaining the
exact depth before it started out of the ground. The instrument came up
completely full, containing about six pounds of mud, mixed with a few
stones and some sand. This mud was much coarser than that which we had
before obtained, and was also of a much looser nature. AVhen the line came up,
* The whole information furnished in the appendix with reference to the organisms procured in
these soundings is given below—
“ C l a s s C n u sT A C E A .
Genus H ippoltte, Leach.
Species.—Having mislaid the specimen, I cannot give a description of it.
Genus Gaiotabus, Latreillo.
Species Sabini.—Segmentis dorsalibus postice falcato-productis. Baffin’s Bay. Captain Sabine.
Class An ne l id ES, Cuvier.
Genus Nebeis, Linné.
Species Phijllophora.— Ore edentulo, pedibus basi lamellis foliosis instruetis. Baffin’s Bay.
Genus Lepidonotus, Leach.
Species Bossii.—Pedibus densissime testaceo hirsutis, squamis dorsalibus cæruleseente-griseis. Bal-
fin’s Bay, amongst soundings.
Type RADIATA.
Class EcnlNODEBilATA.
Genus Goboonocepuaius, Leach (1815). Eueyale, Lamarck (1816).
Species Arcticus.—Corpore supra glabro, rndiatim costato, costis tuberculatis ; rudiis longissiniis.
tenuibus, supra granulatis, articulis (apicalibus præsertim) distiuctissimis. Expansion 2 feet.
Baffin’s Bay. Captain J. Ross.”