148 Deep-Sea Chimaeras 



appreciated at the time) to see some very queer fish 

 upon the sea-surface in remote parts of the ocean during 

 long complete calms. At such times the apparent 

 stagnation of the sea (I say appa^ ant, because it is 

 impossible for the sea ever to be really stagnant) has 

 the strange effect of inducing the denizens of the lower 

 strata to come to the surface, although how they 

 accommodate themselves to the great changes of pres- 

 sure they must experience is a matter quite beyond 

 my comprehension. The more so as, when I have been 

 fishing at a depth of from four to six hundred feet, 

 my victims have invariably come to the surface with 

 everted viscera, due, without doubt, to the sudden 

 change of pressure upon them. 



But these extraordinary visitors to an upper sphere, 

 where they stared glassily at the unfamiliar sunlight, 

 and moved sluggishly and aimlessly about as if be- 

 wildered, were in no way hampered apparently by the 

 loss of any important internal furniture. They were 

 never large, and many of them were of a very low order 

 of animal, notably one, the only part of which that 

 looked complete being its head ; the body, about four 

 feet long, ribbon-like and about four inches wide, 

 being perfectly transparent, almost impalpably so. 

 Through that phantom-like covering one could see 

 every detail of the slender vertebrae, watch all the 

 alimentary processes ; indeed, it was as if by some 

 curious process of radiography the flesh had disap- 

 peared, leaving only the scanty internal details visible. 

 Yet the head, as I have hinted, was solid enough, and 

 perfect in every detail, having two brilliant eyes and a 

 well-furnished mouth of teeth. 



Another strange beast that I managed to capture 

 in a draw-bucket, so sluggish was he, has ever been 

 present since to my mental vision. Many queer fish 



