登陆注册
14816400000042

第42章

MILLEPORA, a strong coral with cylindrical branches, of a pink colour, about two inches high, resembling in the form of its orifices M. aspera of Lamarck, 94 and 30, E. Chiloe 43, Tierra del Fuego 53.

CORALIUM, 120, Barbary 33 N., Peyssonel in paper read to Royal Society May 1752.

ANTIPATHES, 16, Chonos 45.

GORGONIA (or an allied form), 160, Abrolhos on the coast of Brazil 18, Captain Beechey informed me of this fact in a letter.

Ellis ("Nat. Hist. of Coralline," page 96) states that Ombellularia was procured in latitude 79 deg N. STICKING to a LINE from the depth of 236 fathoms; hence this coral either must have been floating loose, or was entangled in stray line at the bottom. Off Keeling atoll a compound Ascidia (Sigillina) was brought up from 39 fathoms, and a piece of sponge, apparently living, from 70, and a fragment of Nullipora also apparently living from 92 fathoms. At a greater depth than 90 fathoms off this coral island, the bottom was thickly strewed with joints of Halimeda and small fragments of other Nulliporae, but all dead. Captain B. Allen, R.N., informs me that in the survey of the West Indies it was noticed that between the depth of 10 and 200 fathoms, the sounding lead very generally came up coated with the dead joints of a Halimeda, of which he showed me specimens. Off Pernambuco, in Brazil, in about twelve fathoms, the bottom was covered with fragments dead and alive of a dull red Nullipora, and I infer from Roussin's chart, that a bottom of this kind extends over a wide area. On the beach, within the coral-reefs of Mauritius, vast quantities of fragments of Nulliporae were piled up. From these facts it appears, that these simply organized bodies are amongst the most abundant productions of the sea.)

Although the limit of depth, at which each particular kind of coral ceases to exist, is far from being accurately known; yet when we bear in mind the manner in which the clumps of coral gradually became infrequent at about the same depth, and wholly disappeared at a greater depth than twenty fathoms, on the slope round Keeling atoll, on the leeward side of the Mauritius, and at rather less depth, both without and within the atolls of the Maldiva and Chagos Archipelagoes; and when we know that the reefs round these islands do not differ from other coral formations in their form and structure, we may, I think, conclude that in ordinary cases, reef-building polypifers do not flourish at greater depths than between twenty and thirty fathoms.

It has been argued ("Journal of the Royal Geographical Society," 1831, page 218.) that reefs may possibly rise from very great depths through the means of small corals, first making a platform for the growth of the stronger kinds. This, however, is an arbitrary supposition: it is not always remembered, that in such cases there is an antagonist power in action, namely, the decay of organic bodies, when not protected by a covering of sediment, or by their own rapid growth. We have, moreover, no right to calculate on unlimited time for the accumulation of small organic bodies into great masses. Every fact in geology proclaims that neither the land, nor the bed of the sea retain for indefinite periods the same level. As well might it be imagined that the British Seas would in time become choked up with beds of oysters, or that the numerous small corallines off the inhospitable shores of Tierra del Fuego would in time form a solid and extensive coral-reef.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 血炼星河

    血炼星河

    佛教以生死为此岸,涅槃为彼岸。一切凡夫,皆在生死中,故皆在此岸。一切圣人,则已从此岸,渡烦恼河,到达彼岸。所谓修行,无非是欲从生死此岸,渡烦恼河,到达涅槃彼岸,永离生死之苦,长享无为寂静之乐。如是而已!
  • 极品小仙师

    极品小仙师

    终南山秘境的小仙师,首次出世行走,本以为俗世之中应该是花红酒绿,纸醉金迷,可没想到,出世第一天就被人砍,第二天被狗咬,第三天,直接遇到了车祸,不过,也因此结识了身具“极阴之体”的宋青遥,展开一段“波涛汹涌”的俗世修行之路。。。。。。本文男主第二章才会出现,有些腹黑,有些不要脸,当然也有热血,期间更是艳福不浅,肥环燕瘦,美女如云!(不是种马文,那样没有美感)“我沐子乔,此生修行只求心安,你若真心待我,我愿为你两肋插刀,你若不择手段,那么,我便十倍奉还!!”——沐子乔
  • 源舞者之歌

    源舞者之歌

    这是一个蕴含着无限本源之力的世界,人类破开灵魂内的源力点,成为源舞者,挥动源力而战。一个饱读秘藏的男人,觉醒了一口毫无器韵的剑魂,一次意外的涅源劫,一条毁天灭地的寂灭紫雷,从此这个男人的命运发生了奇妙的变化,在这个庞大的世界上,开始了一段激情燃烧的岁月,谱写了一曲慷慨激昂的源舞者之歌。一直追逐着,努力着,渴望着,那挥动源力的感觉,那探索世界的期待,解开一切伪善的面容,还原一切真实的存在,涌动的源力,潇洒的做派,任他斗转星移,更迭时代,唯有源舞者的脚步,永恒存在。
  • 逢魔将军神眼妻

    逢魔将军神眼妻

    一对一宠文。传闻东明国的逢魔将军貌似钟馗,性情寡毒狠绝,是人世间最爱杀戮的魔鬼。他不但爱看半截活人在他身边惨叫,还喜欢把人砍成人棍。稍有不顺他意者,开膛破肚!连皇帝都不敢惹他!她原是21世纪的孤女却重生于拥有一银一金妖瞳,被视为怪物的白痴身上。虽是白痴女,却得父亲疼爱,让她好不珍惜这段亲情,只是没想到好赌的堂哥惹祸,害得她爹被人捉做人质,得偷到逢魔将军的魔剑作为交换。本以为这是件容易的事,却不想这把剑隐藏着巨大秘密,让她的生活发生巨大的转变,为什么她想做个平凡人就那么难呢?哎~
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 浮图镇上

    浮图镇上

    长篇小说《黄桷树下浮图镇》,以重庆浮图镇为缩影,生动展现了改革开放前后,特别是党的十一届三中全会以后,当代中国及全体公民所共有并见证的一段举世无双的灿烂历程。小说描述了浮图镇的一群小人物,在中国进入改革开放新时期的大背景下,顽强奋斗、逐步成长的生命轨迹,通过他们精彩的生活故事,展示了改革开放所带来的巨大而深刻的变化——尤其是思想和观念的巨变,及对每个人内心造成的强烈冲击、对灵魂的严肃拷问。小说采用广角式写作手法,阐明了作者对社会大变革、大发展中人们心灵变化的独到观察与思考,以及对人性冲突的深切关怀,是一部积极、有趣、温暖的,不落俗套的社会主流小说。
  • 依赖着他

    依赖着他

    兮雅和兮可从小就很乖,可是,妹妹越来越任性,老是欺负姐姐。可是,姐姐在学校有很多人喜欢,妹妹只有一个人自己玩,妹妹默默地哭了起来。
  • 雷电侠LOL

    雷电侠LOL

    @@一次意外事故差点夺去屌丝眼镜男谢普克的生命,但也让他获得了能召唤雷电能量的特殊能力。从此,英雄救美,拯救市民,维护世界和平的重任就降落到他头上了……本书粉丝微博http://www.*****.com/?u/5796214257
  • 重生:异世倾天下

    重生:异世倾天下

    她,是国家一级特工,因所爱之人背叛而亡,一朝穿越,沦落为挨打受欺嫡小姐,平凡的容颜却隐藏着不为人知的秘密,殊不知,待阴谋揭开,又将展现怎样的绝世风华。他,倾世大陆中的佼佼者,三大帝国之中傲辰国令人闻风丧胆的异姓王,翻云覆雨执掌天下本应是他的囊中之物,然却愿为她舍弃唾手可得的天下,舍弃一生繁华,倾尽所有只为留住她。他们虽为这个世界的强者,命运却终究不能由自己掌握。执掌他们人生的,究竟是谁?
  • 时空商人系统

    时空商人系统

    当最新的福布斯富豪排行榜公布之后,时空帝国商业集团总部。记者:张总,听说你创业十年便有了现在的成就,此时此刻,你有什么想要对大家说的吗?张毅:创业的关键在于利润,我们可以先订个小目标,然后,一步一步去实现它。去超越它。记者:张总,您能说具体点吗?张毅:比如,我们可以将这小目标订在百倍利润点上........记者:..........