jan. — mar. 1857.] voyage from England to Madras. 149 



here and there brighter specks intermixed. This appearance we af- 

 terwards ascertained was partly, if not wholly, caused by multitudes 

 of phosphorescent marine animals, chiefly Crustacea and many 

 of them, microscopic. By the 7th April in Lat. 

 31-11 N. Long. 17-28 W. the wind having abat- 

 ed, many Physalias harbingers of calm weather, 

 floated past, catching the wind by means of their 

 purple crests. Meanwhile we proceeded to prepare 

 our towing apparatus which was simply a bag made 

 of double mosquito gauze of a conical shape as in 

 the accompanying wood-cut Fig. I. It was 1| foot 

 long, the widest end open and made to fit a circu- 

 lar iron hoop of 8 or 9 inches in diameter, to 

 this was attached 15 or 20 fathoms of cord the 

 size of a ship's log line. This form we found well 

 adapted to use in light winds, but in anything of 

 a breeze it too quickly filled with water which 

 as rapidly regurgitated and carried with it all the 

 contents of the net. To remedy this defect we con- 

 structed another net of the form shown in the annexed wood-cut 

 Fig. II. which retained its contents better than the 

 other in windy weather. Macgillivray, Naturalist 

 to the surveying Expedition of H. M. S. Rattle- 

 snake, thus describes his net; "not having seen a 

 description of this useful instrument I may men- 

 tion that the kind used by Mr. Htjtley and my- 

 self consisted of a bag of * bunting' (used for flags) 

 2 feet deep, the mouth of which is sown round a 

 woodenhoopH inches in diameter. Three pieces of 

 cord a foot and a half long are secured to the hoop 

 at equal intervals,andhave their ends tied together. 

 When in use the net is towed astern, clear of the 

 ship's wake by a stout cord secured to one of the 

 quarter boats or held in the hand. The scope of 

 line required is regulated by the speed of the 

 vessel at the time and the amount of strain caused 



Fig. I. 



Kg- n. 



by the partially submerged net." In Darwin's voyage of H. M. S. 



