Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/694

ANTARCTIC REGION. miles, an area greater than that of Australia. On the Antarctic lands mosses and lichens were found, but the only flower-bearing plant was a grass of the genus Aira. A small form of fly, a Podurella, and three or four species of mites, represent the land fauna. Racovitza inclines to the opinion that the former Antarctic land fauna was destroyed during the great glacial period.

Antarctic Ocean" The name Antarctic Ocean is given to the sea waters lying within the Ant- arctic regions, and since the great continents do not extend so far south as the assumed limits of the Antarctic regions, this ocean has no otit- side continental land boundaries, and its waters merely mingle with those of the Pacific, the Indian, and .Atlantic oceans without any signifi- cant lines of separation. Between the latitude of Cape Horn and the Antarctic lands the whole circumference of the globe presents an unbroken expanse of waters, save for a few islands here and there. The floor of the Antarctic gradually shoals from the middle latitude depths toward the South Pole. There are some embayments running toward the Pole which show depths of two to three thousand fathoms, which equal the depths on the outer boundary: but the results of soundings by the BcJgica expedition in 1898 and of a study of the currents seem to show that the various land areas now grouped together and called the outer edge of the Ant- arctic continent rise up from broad shallows or elevated plateaus about two to five hundred feet below the surface of the ocean. In general, at lat. 60° S., the waters of the Antarctic Ocean have an average annual temperature at the sur- face of 29°. 8 F., which is warmer than the aver- age temperature of the air in the same latitude (28°. 7 F.). At great depths and near the ocean floor the water temperature is between 32° F. and 35° F., but between these depths and the surface there is usually found a wedge-shaped layer of water with a temperature varying from 28° F. to 32° F.

The Antarctic drift is mainly from the west on the outer border and from the southwest and south at the interior of the Antarctic region. There are two great Antarctic currents: one crosses the Antarctic circle toward the north, between long. 120° and long. 140° W., but swerves toward the east in lat, 50°, and near the South American continent separates, part going northward past Peru, and part preserving its eastward movement jiast Cape Horn, whence it returns to the Antarctic between long. (iO° E. and 80° E. : the other eunent crosses the Antarctic Circle, going north between long. 80° and long. 100° E., and swerves to the eastward, forming the west Australian current. The floor deposits of the ocean are. in the outer region, globigerina ooze, along and for some distance within the Antarctic Circle terrigenous deposits of blue mud, etc.. and in the interior region immediately surrounding the land, but extending from 10° to 20° from it. pteropod ooze.

The waters are full of life at all depths. Algte are abundant, but pteropods and foraminifera decrease in numbers as the Pole is approached. The deep sea fauna is richer than that of any other region visited by the Chaflenfier in its voyage of exploration. A small whalebone whale, the grampus, the pilot whale, seal, penguins, skua, and teal all live in the Antarctic or on its shores. Fish have not been found in large nim- bers, but must be somewhat abundant, as their remains are found in the stomachs of the pen- guins and seals. Nq traces of land mammals have ever been found on the Antarctic shores.

The winds at the interior of the Antarctic region are probably directed spirally outward from the polar centre, so that they blow as south- east winds: but on the outer border winds are generally from the west, perhaps mostly from the northwest, rather than from the southwest. The annual precipitation immediately around the South Pole is probably less than" 10 inches, but this increases to about 25 inches on the outer boundary of the Antarctic continental lands, from ^vhence there is probably a poleward decrease. The average summer temperatures are below 30° F. within most of the Antarctic Circle: this is the lowest summer temperature observed on the surface of the globe. It may be that the Antarc- tic winters are not so cold as file Arctic winters, on account of the great expanse of water encir- cling tlie Antarctic land-masses, but it is more likely that there is little difference in the winter temperatures near the two poles. The lowest win- ter temperature observed in lat. 70° S. was about — 45° F. During a year in lat. 70° and lower, the Behiica experienced 257 days with snowfall and 14 days of rain.

. Murray. "Antarctic Research." Geographical Journal, Volume III. (London, 1894) ; Fricker, The Antarctic Regions (London, 1900) ; Cook, Through the First Antarctic ight (Xew York, 1900). For history of Antarctic exploration, .see Polar Eeseabch, paragraph on Antarctic Explorations.

ANTARES an-ta'rez (Gk. 'Ai'ra/jj/f, Antares, like .res. or ]Iars; from av-i, anti, against, op- posite, compared with -f 'ApTjC. Ares, Mars). A red star, thought bj' the ancients to resemble liars (q.v.). It is a double star, and the most conspicuous in the constellation Scorpio. Anta- res is often of use to navigators in finding lon- gitude.

ANT'-BEAR'. The great ant-eater.

ANT-BIRD, Ant-Catcher, Ant-Thrush, etc. See AxT Shrike.

ANT'-EAT'ER. Any of various ant-eating manuiials. especially those of the South American Edentate family Myrmecophagidoe. The head in this family is remarkably elongated, with a slender, tubular muzzle, and a small, toothless mouth, with a long, vermiform, protrusile tongue. The eyes and ears are very small. The legs are massive, and the toes united as far as the base of the claws, which are very large and strong, and are turned under the fore-feet as the animal walks. The great ant-eater, tamanoir. or ant-hear i Mgnnecopliaga juiata), a native of the tropical forests of South America, is about 2 feet high and 4 feet long -nithout the tail, which is 2^4 feet long. The compressed body is covered with long hair, 'gray, strikingly marked by a black breast-band, which narrows back to the top of the shoulders, while the fore-legs and feet, are white. The hair is especially long upon the back and tail, which can be curled over the l>cick, and is said to be held there as a shield during rain. The animal dwells in the dense forest, but is wholly terrestrial and does not burrow. It is timid, slow, and inotTensive, but at bay is able to defend itself cflTcctively by means of its long fore-claws, with which it hugs and tears its enemy. These powerful claws are of service in tearing down the hills of the termites