42^ THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



Several large hard head sponges, and some slender, hollow, finger- 

 shaped ones. In the big sponges were brittle stars only, deserving their 

 name as they fell to pieces at a touch. There was one blood-red large 

 one and several small scarlet squilla. 



In both dredges we got only two small fish, one of which was a young 

 moray eel. 



When we chiselled apart the great solid coral boulders, life was 

 found to be more abundant and we captured numbers of creatures, in- 

 cluding ascidians, etc. 



We next went to the eastward of the buoy and a mile away still 

 found bottom at 28 fathoms; another mile and we got 505 fathoms, and 

 put down a Petersen and three metre nets in 300, 400, and 500 fathoms. 

 In two and a half hours we got a good haul. 



Echiostoma barbatum was over a foot long, soft and flabby but not 

 with the tender skin of the deep-sea forms. It was alive and stayed 

 so for several hours while we got movies. The most noticeable charac- 

 ter of this otherwise brownisli-black fish was a wedge- or pear-shaped 

 light organ of rich rose color below the eye. In the dark this gave 

 forth a warm reddish glow. The lateral light organs were all tinged 

 with rose. 



One of the strangest creatures of the entire trip was a small jetfish, 

 dauIopJn-i/ne jordani, a little rounded brownish black creature, with 

 outrageously long dorsal and anal fin rays, and covered from lips to 

 tail with fleshy tactile filaments. He was at his last gasp, unfor- 

 tunatel}', but we got sketches and photographs. 



In the evening from 8 to 9 p. m. towed two metre nets at 200 and 

 300 fathoms, obtaining only a meagre haul but showing an interesting 

 elevation of red forms nearer the surface than in the daytime. This 

 evening also we captured in one of these nets the deep-sea prawn that 

 throws off a cloud of luminescence as a cloak behind which it escape its 

 enemies. 



Noon position: Lat. 32° 02' N: Long. 65° W. 



July 17th. Put down eight nets from 100 to 800 fathoms, and got a 

 very satisfactory plankton haul, but the fish were almost wholly young 

 or immature forms. Sea which kicked up in the afternoon made pull- 

 ing in a difficult matter. Started west. 



Noon position: Lat. 31° 57' N: Long. 64° 55' W. 



July 19tk Heavy seas and a staggering wind, with an occasional 

 wave coming over the port bow in a smother of spray. Difficulty in 

 taking temperatures this morning. 



Noon position: Lat. 33° 14' N: Long. 68° 33' W. 



July 20th. Opposite of yesterday, — smooth blue sea and baking sun. 

 Practically no weed, only very small pieces here and there. Several 

 hours in pulpit brought in only two pailsful, containing two young 

 Pterophryne. Temperature at 6 a. m. showed no signs of Gulf Stream, 

 though we must be near the edge. At 1 p. m. put over five metre nets 



