OUT OF THE DEPTHS 123 



cidedly in favour of its occupying an upright 

 position in the mud, and I accept that theory 

 as probable, if not absolutely and conclusively 

 demonstrated ; but I think writers are going too 

 far when they not merely treat this as indisput- 

 able, but use it as an argument conclusively 

 establishing similar habits on the part of its 

 British first-cousins, the sea-rope and the sea- 

 pen. With regard to these two, I shall have 

 a word to say later on, and in the case of the 

 latter, at least, I think I can produce strong 

 affirmative evidence tending to a contrary con- 

 clusion. Next, as to the cause of its curious 

 mutilation. It does not appear in either of the 

 other sorts, and yet their tops look as if they 

 would be far more tempting to a fish than those 

 which they are supposed to devour so greedily. 

 Codfish and haddocks, the suspected culprits, 

 are not common at the spot where I have ob- 

 tained my specimens, and it is difficult to be- 

 lieve that out of the numbers discovered only 

 one should have escaped the voracity of such 

 enemies. No one who has studied marine zoology 

 at all would be inclined to doubt that an inces- 

 sant struggle for existence, and ceaseless slaughter 

 goes on beneath the waves, but I hesitate to con- 

 demn the fish on the evidence produced as yet. 

 It is, however, a curious confirmation of their 

 guilt, as far as it goes, that of five fragments of 

 virgularia taken by Mr. Darbishire, of Manchester, 



