230 I October, 



Halohates are in view at once, evidently attracted by the bulky hull 

 of the ship, which they will approach frequently within arm's length. 

 Their progress appears to be effected by a sort of skating action of the 

 long, ciliated intermediate and hind legs. When the ship is anchored 

 in a current or tide-way, they keep abreast of her by a series of short 

 rushes of a foot or so, against the stream, giving a speed quite suffi- 

 cient to stem a current of two or three knots per hour. I have also 

 noticed that they particularly like the " dead water " next the rudder 

 under the ship's stern, where they may often be seen when none are 

 visible elsewhere. They show great dexterity in avoiding the net, and 

 a quick dip is necessary to effect a capture ; the tow-net was often 

 put over astern in the " Penguin " when thus anchored, but it never 

 entrapped a single specimen. 1 find in my diary for 'November 26th, 

 1882 (the first note of their capture), "They {H sericeus) were not 

 caught without a good deal of trouble, as they were exceedingly agile, 

 dodging the net when it came near them, and occasionally diving 

 under it. They seemed to like the sunshine, and were much scarcer 

 when it was overcast." A heavy swell, provided the weather is quite 

 calm, does not prevent their appearance, but with the ripple caused 

 by the slightest breeze, they vanish at once ; though sometimes, as at 

 Nimrod Sound, they were to be found in plenty on the narrow belt of 

 smooth water to leeward of the ship, when not one was to be seen on 

 the windward side. 



When in the net, all the species are exceedingly active, skipping 

 about with a very lively motion like that of our familiar fresh-water 

 Gerris. I have seen them leap quite a foot high from the deck, 

 and have lost a good many through their skipping over the rim of the 



net into the sea. They are other- 

 wise very helpless out of water, as 

 besides skipping, they can only 

 shuffle along with their thin wiry 

 legs. I have kept the Chinese 

 species alive for several days • in a 

 vessel of sea water ; at first they 

 are very restless, rushing about and 

 occasionally jumping up two or 

 w, /7 -r-. «.. Atf*%. :7 three inches from the surface, but 



. / -tr-T-r -r alter a tew hours they become much 



ai KaZcTxxbis. rr.. ,. ^ ,i 



/ quieter. ihey then rest on the 



water with the legs widely extended, and the intermediate pair brought 



forward so as to have the tarsi in advance of the head (as in the 



