Report on the contents of two bottles of water from the Gulf of Mexico, forwarded by the Smithsonian Institution

234 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

JKKPOKT

OIV

THE €01VTENTS OF T^VO BOTTI^ES OF WATER FROM THE

C}ITI,F

OF MEXICO, FORWARDED BV THE

SMJTHSOIVIIAN

IIVSTSTtJTllOIV.-

By »K.

'W. G.

FAKLOi;^.

When

receivedin Cainbridjije,

May

14, 1881,the waterofbothbottles gaveoutan excessivelydisagreeable odor ofputrefying organic matter,

and ammonia was

given offin considerablequantities,as

was shown by

holding a rod moistened withhydrochloric acid over the

mouths

of the bottles. In one bottlethere

was

agreenish-colored, slimy deposit an inch deep,

and

the water above

was

clear. In the second bottle the water

was

turbid throughout

and

of rather abrownishcolor.

The

microscopic examinations

showed

that the contentsof the

two

bottles were alike.

The

greater portion of the matter containedinthe water consisted ofa

mass

of

amorphous

slime,in which were

numerous

crystals, apparently of a fatty nature. There were, besides, a large quantity ofeggsof

some

animal,wliichwereeasilyrecognized, although partiallydecomposed,

and

theremainsofsmall Crustacea. In addition tothe animal substancesmentioned were remainsofplant tissues,leaves

and young

stems, pinepollen,

and

diatomsoffour orfivedifferent species.

From what

hasbeen said, it is evident that the slime in the water

must

have beenat

some

timenotfarfrom the land,or elsethatthebot- tlesused, or thewater after it

had

been collected,

must have

beenex- posedto the airfor

some

time.

Itis

my

opinion that the troubleisnotcaused

by

the presence of

any

vegetable substance, but that the presence^of the latterisaccidental.

The

slimy

mass

probably originated from a

mass

of eggs ^which, for

some

reason orother,were killednearthesurfaceofthe water,

and

the smaller crustaceans ⁱⁿ theneighborhood have been involvedin the gen- eral massof slime.

REMAIIVS OF THE

^VAt,RUS (?) IN

MAINE.

By

€.

H. BOYD.

Addison

Point,

Washington County, Maine,

October8, 1881.

Dear

Sir^: I have the honor to

make

the following statement of findingthe partlyfossilizedbones ^ofawalrus (?), in expectation thatit

may

possibly prove of interest in connection withinvestigations of the Smithsonian, as tendingto

show

the rangeofthe-walrus thusfarsouth, orthatthisclimate

was more

Arcticin time past.

*Thiswaterwas collectedwherethefishmortality, referred to inpreceding pages, wasthegreatest.