TRANSFORMATIONS. li53 



the open sea, but which come to the surface only 

 by nightj passing the day in depths so great that 

 light is almost excluded : or in fishes which live 

 at still greater depths, from which there is no 

 escape save by death ; so deep that absolute 

 darkness always prevails — it is the region of 

 eternal night. In consequence we find that the 

 eyes of the fishy prisoners of these dark water- 

 ways are either of enormous size, very small, 

 or wanting. But as the eyes decrease so the 

 luminous organs increase, till in some of the 

 totally blind fish those of the head have reached 

 a size -vYhich has been described as colossal. 

 Thus the eyes become replaced by lantern-like 

 phosphorescent organs. The reason for this re- 

 markable luminosity is at first sight not quite 

 clear. Reflection suggests, however, that being 

 blind, or nearly so, the capture of food becomes 

 impossible, unless the food can be induced to 

 come to the fish. A sort of realisation of the 

 very obdurate mountain being induced to go to 

 Mahomet at last. In the luminous organs we 

 have, strangely enough, the necessary wonder- 

 working charm. These, it would seem, are used 

 as a lure to draw the more fortunate sight-pos- 

 sessing brethren to destruction. Just as salmon 

 poachers decoy salmon within spear-reach by 

 means of a lantern w^hilst the world sleeps. But 

 it may be objected that this same lure will serve 

 equally well as a beacon to draw down upon itself 

 larger and equally hungry fish, as pirates might 

 be guided by the light of a ship riding at anchor ! 

 So that this specious benefactor standing in dark 

 places diffusing light and gobbling up all who 



