LOG OF THE ARCTURUS 403 



round bivalves covered every strand of the weed. We found a spot 

 where deep water was closest to shore and swam part way across the 

 lake. The water was intensely salt, so that we floated high in it, and 

 it made the eyes smart. Took a salinity bottle full for sample (Fig. 67). 



In the crater was an almost pure culture of red-footed boobies 

 nesting in the mangroves, in nearly every case a bird in the white 

 phase mated with a brown one. There were at least six birds that 

 were brown with white scapulars and 'inner flight-feathers, two of 

 which were sitting on eggs. Two pairs of yellow warblers were sing- 

 ing, and a flock of about twenty-five turnstones were feeding on the 

 insects. A few frigatebirds were nesting high up on the crater-sides. 



Along shore was a long-stemmed, jointed, floating grass, to which 

 were fastened millions of eggs and developing water-striders. 



Diving in the afternoon. 



April 18th. Long diving sessions most of day. Took down crab 

 bait and thousands of fishes ate from the hand. Literally clouds of 

 small fish, such as Paranthias, Pomacentrus, and Thallasoma, swarm 

 about twitching off bits of the bait; the sensation is of an aquatic 

 version of feeding pigeons at St. Mark's. Also some successful har- 

 pooning of fish done under water, a large blenny, four yellow-tailed 

 Xesurus, a beautiful specimen of Chcetodon nigrirostria, and the blue- 

 striped golden Evoplites viridis being obtained in this way. The 

 larger fish do jiot seem so hungry, or perhaps it is that they are 

 more cautious, but the small ones are quite fearless and brush against 

 the diver's arms and legs as unconcernedly as though he were a 

 familiar sight. 



Saw Evoplites two and a half feet long. They feed on crabs, tak- 

 ing -in whole sections of leg- joints. 



April 19th. Shore parties as usual, fishing parties in bay, and a 

 trial at diving in one of the deep rock pools to the west of our land- 

 ing beach. Very different in absolutely quiet water from the surge 

 along shore that scrapes one along helplessly. 



A friendly penguin was added to the passenger list. 



April 20th. More diving and fishing from the rocks under the cliffs. 

 One method of collecting is to have a bucket lowered to the diver 

 after he reaches the bottom; this he fills with rocks, which are placed 

 in a large tub on deck of ship, and in a day or two all the crea- 

 tures have crawled out of their nooks and are easily obtained. Mol- 

 lusks, worms, annelids, squillae, isopods, and many species of crabs 

 have been collected in this way. 



At 4:30 p. m. we started for Hood Island. It is like leaving home to 

 go from this place that is so familiar to us, — birds, cliffs, sandy beach, 

 and now even the underwater portion of it is not entirely imknown. 

 Large rays were leaping in the bay as we steamed through the narrow 

 opening, and the sea side of the eastern point was solid white over a 

 large area with white boobies. 



At 9:30, south of Tower, towed a surface net for twenty minutes 



