424 THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



bulging with what looked like a ton of green mud, into which every- 

 one plunged to sort out anemones, starfishes, holothurians, worms, crabs, 

 beautiful purple pennatulas. The fish were mostly hakes, with one 

 large goosefish, some Scorpaenids and a slender Lycenchelys. 



The dredge stuck because we were pulling against the continental 

 slope, beginning at 500 and ending at about 250 fathoms, so that the 

 net and frame were buried in bottom mud. 



Now going to the Hudson River Gorge, submerged since the Pleis- 

 tocene, where we plan to do some dredging. 



Noon position: Lat. 38° 11' N: Long. 73° 44' W. 



July 25th. Dredging started directly after breakfast. The big dredge 

 brought up nothing at all. Then put out five metre nets and got a 

 good haul, with Myctophids, Cyclothones, Stomias, Chauliodus, Serrivo- 

 mer, Nemichthys, Caulophryne, a blue-eyed flounder, etc. 



The dynamite squad went over in a small boat and used up the last 

 charge, under a bit of wreckage, but every fish sank so rapidly after 

 the explosion that they could not be recovered. 



At 10 p. m. began a twenty-four-hour haul of half-metre surface nets. 

 A few Myctophids, but most of the fish are young hakes. 



During evening tried for fish by lighted gangway. Got squid, a 

 snake mackerel, and beautifully marked Nomeus. 



Noon position: Lat. 39° 13' N: Long. 72° 12' "W. 



July 26th. Steamed slowly all day, making the twenty-four-hour 

 plankton hauls. A cold grey windy day. 



Noon position: Lat. 39° 26' N; Long. 71° 26' W. 



July 27th. Vertical and closing-net hauls all the morning. Crew 

 catching sharks; got three in about half an hour, and we had a steak 

 from one for lunch. Very good, not unlike swordfish but tougher 

 and not so dry. Crew vastly disgusted at the idea, but cannot ex- 

 plain why. 



Nets in the afternoon, with fair results. 



Noon position: Lat. 39° 37' N: Long. 71° 40' W. 



July 28th. Calm and fine. Made a deep haul this morning and an- 

 other this afternoon. Every net bulging with quantities of salpae, but 

 in the mass of jelly, when floated out in tubs and dishes, were some 

 interesting fish, — Caulophryne, Serrivomer, Melamphces, Oneirodes and 

 many very large Cyclothones. 



Many dolphins leaping in the middle distance, and we have seen 

 blackfish and tunnies. This morning a spearfish, six or eight feet long, 

 swam close under the boom, where the trolling line was trailing, and 

 once even took the spoon in its mouth, but was not hooked. 



Noon position: Lat. 39° 16' N: Long. 71° 40' W. 



July 29th. A day of dismantling, packing, and concentrated industry. 

 Noon position: Lat. 39° 43' N: Long. 72' 15' W. 



