A DESCENT INTO PERPETUAL NIGHT 211 



pressed by the successful or abortive attempts at identifica- 

 tion. So I asked for our ascent. 



One minute later, at 2470 feet, all my temporarily re- 

 laxed attention was aroused and focused on another splen- 

 did piece of luck. A tie rope had to be cut and in this 

 brief interval of suspension, extended by my hurried order, 

 a new anglerfish came out of all the ocean and hesitated 

 long enough close to my window for me to make out its 

 dominant characters. I am calling it the Three-starred 

 Anglerfish, Bathyceratias trilynchnus. It was close in many 

 respects to the well-known genera Ceratias and Crypto- 

 sparas, but the flattened angle of the mouth and the short, 

 even teeth were quite different. It was six inches long, 

 typically oval in outline, black, and with small eye. The 

 fin rays were usual except that it had three tall tentacles 

 or illicia, each tipped with a strong, pale yellow light organ. 

 The light was clearly reflected on the upper side of the 

 fish. In front of the dorsal fin were two pear-shaped or- 

 gans exactly like those of the common Cryptosparas. The 

 paired fins escaped me. No pioneer, peering at a Martian 

 landscape, could ever have a greater thrill than did I at 

 such an opportunity. (Fig. 117.) 



Once more I rearranged my aching limbs, stretched and 

 twisted to make my muscles cease complaining, and 

 watched the small fry slip downward through the beam, 

 as the winch drew us steadily upward. Everything of in- 

 terest was still relayed through the phone, but I was 

 slumped down, relaxed. Suddenly I leaned forward, bang- 



