36o I N A G U A 



the position of the lowermost fish was north, the one above was 

 north by east, the next northeast, and so on around the com- 

 pass in an ascending scale. The result was an exceedingly grace- 

 ful spiral. The spiral, keeping time with the great ball of liv- 

 ing tang, rocked slightly with the current but maintained its 

 relative position. What the reason was for this formation I 

 could not guess unless it was so arranged as a protection in 

 order that there would be a butterfly-fish facing in every direc- 

 tion to give warning of the approach of an enemy. But if this 

 were so, why then did the tang ignore the rule and all face the 



same 



way 



While I was watching the butterfly-fish I suddenly sensed 

 a great swirling movement behind me. Frightened, I whirled 

 around expecting to see the large form of a barracuda or other 

 predator. Instead, I was relieved to see that it was only a tre- 

 mendous migration of schoolmasters, which were fishes about 

 a foot in length marked with a brilHant blue streak placed just 

 below their eyes from their lips to the edge of their opercles. 

 Their eyes gleamed like jewels and as the school twisted and 

 wound its way into the dark, the mass effect was of a thou- 

 sand glowing coals gliding into the depths. The school was 

 proceeding very leisurely and sliding along close to the bottom 

 like a great long rope. The fishes were packed so close together 

 it seemed they had scarcely room to waggle their tails. Ap- 

 parently they mistrusted the Hght for they made a long circle 

 around the spot where its beam was focused on the ocean floor. 



The reaction of various marine organisms to artificial light 

 is an absorbing study. Anchovies, silversides, menhaden, free- 

 swimming worms and certain crustaceans seem to find it ir- 

 resistible, some of these, like the worms, are driven mad by it. 

 Other forms shun light like the plague, or at most, hover un- 

 certainly about its further edges. Strangely, weak light at- 

 tracts more life than excessive brilliance. It cost me about forty 



