SARGASSO WEEDS AND WAVES 11 



There was a notable lack of enthusiasm at this 

 sight. It was the fifth morning that we had leapt 

 out at dawn to see the same bird, who appeared to 

 take delight in coming only at this hour. The 

 spectacle had somewhat lost its charm, not to speak 

 of its novelty, but the officer on duty, like one of the 

 immortal Six Hundred, refused to reason why. I 

 also suspect that he enjoyed making us get up. 



As we turned back to our cabins, one morose 

 scientist was heard to mutter, "It may be bad luck 

 to shoot an albatross, but I'd like to take a chance 

 on that tropicbird." 



Life is strenuous on an oceanic expedition, and 

 on the previous evening our nets had brought in 

 a rich haul of fishes from the depths, and my late 

 session in the laboratory had lasted until three. So 

 now I lazily determined on another half -hour in 

 bed. Just as I was comfortably dozing off, there 

 was a scrambling at the open porthole, and with 

 a thud Chiriqui dropped on my chest. 



Chiriqui is the small Panamanian monkey who 

 has been the indispensable mascot of three expedi- 

 tions of the New York Zoological Society. He is a 

 much travelled and thoroughly spoiled person, and 

 in his more destructive moments is known as Ras- 

 putin, the Demon Monk. His uncanny ability to 

 escape from confinement causes him to be referred 

 to also as Houdini, and the exercise of this talent ac- 

 counted for his presence now. Having apparently 

 toiled all night, he had at length succeeded in break- 

 ing out of jail, as represented by his enormous cage 

 on the forward deck, and grinning with fiendish de- 



