LOG OF THE ARCTURUS 407 



isopods, copepods and sagittae. The dominant color of all the in- 

 vertebrates was red. 



Many flyingfish to-day, but none of the huge ones that were so 

 plentiful in Gardner Bay. 



We are now looking for the Current Rip. 



Noon position: Lat. 0° 02' N: Long. 88° 23' W. 



April 30th. A placid sea, and a very warm day. No Current Rip, 

 to be found so far, and as we have twice crossed its former path 

 it has apparently passed out of existence. 



Noon position: Lat. 2° 47' N: Long. 87° 16' W. 



May 1st. Our one remaining ice-box seems to be dying, so that 

 we drink tepid water, and several hundred pounds of meat are in 

 peril. The Rip is lost, and the Captain thinks the wisest plan is 

 to run straight for Panama for repairs to ice-plant, lights, launches 

 and all. 



Two wonderful hauls to-day, in which we obtained for the first time 

 the Gasteropelecus which adorns our house-flag, as well as the largest 

 example we have ever caught of ChauUodus, about ten inches long. 



Noon position: Lat. 3° 57' N: Long. 86° 48' "W. 



May 2nd. Sea like a sheet of glass, and we are going full speed 

 for Cape Mala. Two big turtles, and an olive-footed booby sitting 

 on a small log passed at 11 a. ra. Under the log hundreds of fish 

 were swimming. During the day a large petrel passed close to the 

 ship, swimming quite fearlessly. Saw three sea-snakes, and many logs 

 with attendant schools of fish, and caught a small Coryphaena from 

 the boom-walk. As it was pulled in, several larger ones followed it 

 hungrily. A four-foot Pyrosoma and a shark were the only other 

 creatures seen, except flyingfish. 



At 1 p. m. sounded in 1690 fathoms, and made a successful haul. 



Noon position: Lat. 4° 52' N: Long. 84° 42' W. 



May 3rd. An incredibly smooth sea, with abundance of life, — fly- 

 ingfish, great schools of tunny and dolphins, many white boobies and 

 shearwaters, extensive patches of dark brown, sponge-like alga?, 

 porpita, and so on. At 10 a. m. an eastern cliff-swallow came aboard, 

 and for several hours a large-billed water-thrush was on the ship. 

 (Location 5° 47' N., 82° 58' W.) 



The albatrosses are feeding from our hands as though they had 

 always eaten that way, and allow us to pet and stroke them. They 

 stand up most of the time, drink nothing, but enjoy a thorough spray- 

 ing every morning. Now and then they go through a portion of the 

 dance, clattering their beaks, or bowing, or raising their heads straight 

 up. 



A half-hour metre net at the surface at 8 p. m. yielded blue Cope- 

 pods, and scanty grey-pink plankton, many small Porpita and an 

 amazing number of small fish. Two large Myctophids, several small 

 ones, a wonderful copper-and-silver round fish with enormously elon- 



