HAULING THE SEINE. 257 



sion. The tail of the sting-ray resembled the 

 lash of a whip, the stings being just at the base 

 of the tail, one above the other. Just how the 

 wound was made the boys could not conjecture. 



During one of their submarine excursions a 

 sleeping nurse was started up, its black form 

 creating a momentary panic among the divers. 

 Planting their feet against the bottom, they 

 thrust themselves up to the surface as quickly 

 as possible. 



As seen from the boat, the white forms scram- 

 bling about, fifteen or twenty feet below, pre- 

 sented an amusing spectacle. The boys could 

 see each other very distinctly beneath the water, 

 even a submarine smile or wink being readily 

 detected. Sometimes their jokes resulted in 

 making the boys laugh outright, thus taking in 

 mouthfuls of water and bringing about a gen- 

 eral rush to the surface. 



In these submarine excursions they often 

 noticed a peculiarity that is familiar in the at- 

 mosphere. In diving twenty or more feet, strata 

 of different temperatures would be encountered. 

 At the surface the water would be very warm 



