CLASSIFIED RESUME OF ORGANISMS OBSERVED 299 



rarely, besides Atolla and Periphylla, fragments of other 

 large, dark-red medusae are taken. No haul that I ever 

 made prepared me for the abundance of medusas which I 

 saw on some of the bathysphere descents. On one espe- 

 cially rapid ascent I counted twenty-four jellyfish close to 

 the window between 200 feet and the surface. In vertical 

 net hauls from the same depth, we have never taken more 

 than a single specimen. 



Phylum CTENOPHORA 



Ctenophores were sighted seven times, between 300 and 

 2450 feet. Each was four or five inches long, and trans- 

 parent or salmon-colored. Although four were seen below 

 1000 feet — well within the zone where animal light is 

 clearly visible — only one was luminous. Always they were 

 easily distinguished from medusas by their ciliate motion, 

 which carried them steadily along with no hint of jerk or 

 pulsation. Once the cilia themselves were plainly visible 

 when a ctenophore passed close to the window. On three 

 of the occasions when I saw them, several of the animals 

 were in view at once. Deep-sea ctenophores are rare in the 

 trawling nets, as only one is taken, on the average, for 

 every fifteen nets drawn. Most of these are in poor condi- 

 tion. 



