426 Dr. E. P. Wright on Deep-sea Dredging. 
and other specimens, I only allude to the discovery of this 
species here as adding a species to the fauna of the deep-sea 
zone. 
I understood from the men that they had discovered most 
of the specimens of Hyalonema when shark-fishing ; but I was 
not prepared to find sharks at a depth like this ; so I was some- 
what surprised when the padrone of the boat asked for leave 
to throw out the fishing-lines, just over the place where we 
had drawn up the dredge. Some 600 fathoms of rope was let 
out, the first 30 or 40 fathoms of which had fastened to it, 
at intervals of a fathom, a series of smaller ropes, on each of 
which was fastened a large hook, baited with a codling. This 
fishing-tackle remained below for about two hours, when they 
commenced to haul it in; when it arrived at the last few 
fathoms, they pulled in, one after the other, five or six speci- 
mens of a shark, each specimen from three to four feet long ; 
the species was the Centroscymnus calolepis, Boc. & Cap. 
These sharks, as they were hauled into the boat, fell down into 
it like so many dead pigs; there was not the smallest motion 
of their bodies, no switching of their tails, not even a wink of 
their eyes; and I think there can be no reasonable doubt that 
they were inhabitants of the same great depth as the Hya- 
lonema, and that, on being dragged up through such a weight 
of water, they were completely asphyxiated. It will not be 
forgotten how violent all the members of the shark tribe are 
on being caught. I have watched the boats arriving at day- 
break at Setubal after a night’s fishing for the surface-living 
sharks, and, as each boat was emptied of its gory freight, 
never, in a single instance, did I see any of the hundreds of 
sharks thrown on shore that had not huge gashes on its head 
and caudal regions ; and these had been inflicted to keep them 
met. 
: Thus I was enabled to add to the fauna of this deep-sea 
valley a shark and a sponge; and on the authority of the 
fishermen I am able to add, still further, a coral and a very 
remarkable fish. A small hook, baited with a smaller-sized 
fish than usual, happened accidentally to be fastened to the 
tackle for catching the sharks, and on the line being drawn 
up it was found that a small fish (Chiasmodon niger, Johnson) 
had swallowed the bait and hook and a considerable portion 
of the line. 'This specimen is now in the Museum of Lisbon, 
and is, perhaps, the most perfect specimen in any museum. I 
see no reason to doubt that, if fished for, plenty of specimens 
of this Chiasmodon will be found at these depths; but though, 
as Dr. Carte has shown*, this fish is very voracious, and 
* Proceedings Zoological Society, 1866, p. 35, plate 2. 
