THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 259 



went down, and by the morning of the 5th there was little 

 wind, but a very heavy swell, which exhibited the capability, 

 largely possessed by the ''Nassau," for extensive rolling. 

 By the evening it had become nearly calm, and we took 

 advantage of this circumstance to put over the to wing-net. 

 Two hours later, when it was hauled in, I found in it a 

 minute Velella, and two specimens of an Amphipod of the 

 family Hyperidce — the Themisto antarctica. N^ext morning, 

 6th, it was dead calm, the sun shining brightly, and the sur- 

 face of the water like oil in smoothness. On hauling in the 

 towing-net, at eight A.M., we found in it multitudes of the Am- 

 phipod obtained on the previous evening, a few specimens of 

 lanthina exigua, and some exquisite Acalephse, the majority 

 of which were species of Ctenopliora. Several of these 

 were Beroes of various forms, some colourless, and others with 

 ctenophores of a beautiful rosy tint. The motion of the 

 ciliated plates was splendidly seen in these, as well as in a large 

 species of the same order, with regard to the genus of which I felt 

 doubtful, as it was much injured. When entire, it must have 

 measured at least six inches in circumference. It was trans- 

 parent, with innumerable delicate reticulations of crimson-lake, 

 and waves of iridescence passed along the ctenophores when 

 the plates were in motion. The oceanic Hydrozoa were also 

 represented by a lovely little species of Physsophora which I 

 sketched from life. In general form it bore a close resem- 

 blance to the P. cUsticha of Lesson, but the necto-calyces had 

 not such a distinctly two-rowed arrangement. The hydro- 

 cysts, which surrounded a large number of tentacula varying 

 considerably in form, were transparent, tinged with pale 

 purple, with a yellow, opaque, cream-coloured line running 

 down the centre, and several were slightly tinged with yel- 

 low at the tip. They were firm to the touch, and were 



