﻿[15] 
  WORK 
  OF 
  STEAMER 
  ALBATROSS. 
  17 
  

  

  87° 
  14' 
  30" 
  W. 
  The 
  new 
  water-bottle, 
  intended 
  to 
  retain 
  the 
  gases 
  in 
  

   water 
  specimens, 
  was 
  tried 
  at 
  500 
  fathoms, 
  but 
  the 
  upper 
  valve 
  tailed 
  

   to 
  close, 
  and 
  when 
  a 
  slight 
  pressure 
  was 
  subsequently 
  put 
  on 
  it 
  thejoints 
  

   were 
  found 
  to 
  leak 
  so 
  badly 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  of 
  no 
  use 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  

   for 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  designed. 
  We 
  did 
  what 
  we 
  could 
  to 
  repair 
  the 
  fault 
  

   when 
  further 
  experiments 
  were 
  made. 
  

  

  At 
  5.30 
  a. 
  m., 
  March 
  14, 
  we 
  cast 
  the 
  trawl 
  in 
  280 
  fathoms, 
  gray 
  mud, 
  

   latitude 
  28° 
  42' 
  K, 
  longitude 
  80° 
  36' 
  W., 
  making 
  five 
  hauls 
  during 
  the 
  

   day 
  from 
  the 
  above 
  position 
  to 
  latitude 
  28° 
  30' 
  K, 
  longitude 
  85° 
  33' 
  30" 
  

   W., 
  in 
  111 
  fathoms. 
  The 
  general 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  were 
  much 
  the 
  

   same 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  preceding 
  day, 
  with 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  shoal-water 
  forms. 
  

  

  A 
  curious 
  parasitic 
  worm, 
  genus 
  Notliria, 
  was 
  found 
  on 
  a 
  holothu- 
  

   rian. 
  Several 
  gallons 
  of 
  foraminifera 
  were 
  washed 
  from 
  the 
  contents 
  

   of 
  the 
  mud-bag 
  and 
  saved, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  evening 
  a 
  live 
  paper 
  nau- 
  

   tilus 
  (Argonauta 
  argo) 
  was 
  taken 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  surface 
  towing-net 
  and 
  se- 
  

   cured 
  in 
  perfect 
  condition. 
  

  

  The 
  submarine 
  electric 
  light 
  was 
  used 
  for 
  surface 
  collecting 
  as 
  usual 
  

   when 
  the 
  ship 
  is 
  hove 
  to 
  at 
  night. 
  Trial 
  lines 
  were 
  put 
  over 
  for 
  fish 
  

   at 
  the 
  last 
  two 
  stations, 
  but 
  without 
  success. 
  

  

  At 
  5.30 
  the 
  following 
  morning 
  the 
  trawl 
  was 
  lowered 
  in 
  88 
  fathoms, 
  

   latitude 
  28° 
  42' 
  30" 
  N., 
  longitude 
  85° 
  29' 
  W. 
  The 
  bottom 
  indicated 
  by 
  

   the 
  lead 
  was 
  gray 
  mud, 
  but 
  the 
  trawl 
  brought 
  up 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  

   shells, 
  mostly 
  dead. 
  There 
  were 
  also 
  several 
  varieties 
  of 
  fish, 
  shrimp, 
  

   and 
  crabs. 
  Four 
  other 
  hauls 
  were 
  made 
  between 
  the 
  above 
  position 
  

   and 
  latitude 
  28° 
  48' 
  30" 
  N., 
  longitude 
  84° 
  37' 
  W., 
  in 
  24 
  fathoms, 
  with 
  

   practically 
  the 
  same 
  results, 
  with 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  sponges, 
  bryozoa, 
  

   starfish, 
  cephalopods, 
  worms, 
  &c. 
  Trials 
  were 
  made 
  with 
  hand-lines 
  

   at 
  each 
  station 
  before 
  the 
  trawl 
  was 
  lowered, 
  and 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  

   day 
  was 
  given 
  up 
  entirely 
  to 
  that 
  work, 
  15 
  stations 
  being 
  occupied 
  

   between 
  latitude 
  28° 
  48' 
  M"., 
  longitude 
  84° 
  36' 
  W., 
  and 
  latitude 
  28° 
  44' 
  

   K, 
  longitude 
  84° 
  26' 
  W., 
  in 
  from 
  27 
  to 
  21 
  fathoms. 
  Although 
  we 
  

   crossed 
  a 
  recently-discovered 
  bank, 
  we 
  caught 
  but 
  one 
  red 
  snapper 
  and 
  

   six 
  groupers 
  during 
  the 
  day. 
  

  

  The 
  sky 
  was 
  overcast 
  with 
  drizzling 
  rain 
  in 
  the 
  morning, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   afternoon 
  there 
  was 
  constant 
  heavy 
  rain, 
  with 
  occasional 
  distant 
  thun- 
  

   der. 
  March 
  16 
  was 
  also 
  overcast, 
  the 
  sun 
  appearing 
  only 
  at 
  intervals 
  

   and 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  moments. 
  It 
  was 
  entirely 
  obscured 
  during 
  the 
  eclipse. 
  

  

  Work 
  was 
  resumed 
  at 
  daylight 
  the 
  next 
  day, 
  and 
  five 
  stations 
  occu- 
  

   pied 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  five 
  miles 
  without 
  taking 
  any 
  fish. 
  The 
  trawl 
  was 
  

   lowered 
  in 
  21 
  fathoms, 
  coral 
  and 
  sponge 
  bottom, 
  latitude, 
  2S° 
  28' 
  X., 
  

   longitude 
  84° 
  25' 
  W.j 
  and 
  brought 
  up 
  several 
  sponges 
  — 
  one 
  being 
  a 
  

   sponge 
  of 
  commerce— 
  several 
  sea-urchins, 
  hydroids, 
  one 
  gastropod 
  shell 
  

   (Murcx), 
  and 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  small 
  fish. 
  Ten 
  snappers 
  and 
  one 
  grouper 
  

   were 
  taken 
  at 
  this 
  station. 
  The 
  search 
  for 
  fish 
  was 
  continued 
  without 
  

   success 
  until 
  the 
  fourth 
  station 
  was 
  reached, 
  in 
  latitude 
  28° 
  15' 
  45" 
  X., 
  

   longitude 
  84° 
  02' 
  35" 
  W., 
  in 
  21 
  fathoms, 
  when 
  two 
  snappers 
  and 
  ten 
  

   S. 
  Mis. 
  70 
  2 
  

  

  