The Portland daily press., 1873-10-14
TERMS $500 PER ANNUMTN AnyANCE

asterias, never. OF one maonifoa,,. s,,o.;o.
the gondster Phrygtdnus, we found bht two
specimens, both in the deep water, where an
almost icy temperature made them a constant
Winter. Four or five inches from point ~
point, and of a deep scarlet hue, with the
surface embossed like shagreen, they were
indeed beautiful.
OF pale straw colOred starfish--untiI now
esteemed very rare-we found hundreds. all
in this icy belt. that has provided close to
our shores an abiding place for creatures pc
culiar to the Arctic waters. Here, with the
thermometer recording 36 degrees, at fifty
fathoms below the surface, the wonders of
the Polar sea are brought to our very thresh-
hold.
Here, too, we found three large and perfect
specimens of rare and beautiful anemone,
hitherto recorded no nearer to our coast than
on the Georges Bank, where, in 400 fathoms
depth, the scraping dredge had torn from one
specimens its long fnger-like antenna, and
the previous sight of which alone enabled
our learned leader to instantly name and
classify this first perfect specimen ever OBJ
tanned.
The dredge used on a mud bottom brings
up quantiti-s, which, when washed out, re-
veal a rich harvest. Worms predominate-
some bare and red and Shiny, others encased
in hard tube of their own manufacture,
from which they pass their heads in and out,
Many sorts and sizes, from tiny creatures
whose pecularities are distinguished only
under the microscope,t to the grand cerianthus
bOredis one of the anemonie family, a foot in
length, all with the same style of house,
and eXuding from their bodies slime which
has probably chemical affinities with the
lime in the water, and whose sickness
causes the mud to adhere. A hard tube
forms around them, from which they can be
drawn without injury. We caught one of
the above named-a perfect specimen-with
a tube an inch in diameter and foot long
Prof. Verrill drew him from his case and set
him free in a basin of water. Expanding
and contracting, he swan rapidly about, evil
IDENTIFY i'll at ease. The next day he was lying
quiet. and about his neck there was a ring of
mud, formed from the floating particles in
his prison, and in the evening. stretched out
to full length, he was found endeavoring to
swallow an anemonie that has been impris-
oned with him.
The hermit crab is a very common but GU
rious creature. 1t resembles very much a
little lobster, and is armed with powerful
claws and thick breast plate. He is quar-
relsome customer, but unfortunately for him
he doesn't end as he began, and all the after
part OF his body is soft and defenceess. Con-
scious of his weak points, he is very coward
when left to his natural resources, but search
ing about, he finds an empty univalve spiral
turning it over and over until satisfied that
there is no weak place in the rear, when he
passes into it, tail first, and then calmly fold
ing his strong claws across the entrance, he is
ready for fray. / have seen a larger one
thrust in a claw and pull from a shell he fam
ced smaller one that had already taken ref
uge in it. Moving about constantly as he
does, his she'll becomes an attractive home
for beautiful hydroid, who requires a mo-
ton in the water to thrive, and who has no
locomotive organs himself This hydroid is
beautiful little creature, and as seen by the
naked eye the shell seems covered with a vel
vet like coat of waving fibres; seen through
the microscope !, the fibres resolve themselves
into a curious little triune creature, three
bodies ON one stem, each with its special
function to perform, making one little single
life. One body absorbs food, another repro
duces the young. while the third, armed with
tiny Jaws, defends the little community
against other creatures still smaller. The
contrast between the many hues of the hy-
droid and the changeable metallic lustre of
the crabs claws, make this one OF the most
beautiful of our finds.
On rocky bottoms we find pretty little
white shell to all appearances, butou learned
friend, Prot. Morse, holds and shows that
with all its shell-like attributes it is but a
worm. One large rock that we brought up,
| of perhaps 600 pounds, was covered with
them, and other shells. The glass coral sponge,
nearly identical with one found originally
in the japanese waters; the small species of
cuttle-fish, very rare, originally discovered
and treated upon by Prot. Verrill, who tells
queer stories as to its odd ways of ''putting
| thipgs;'' big and little red shrimps, of many
varieties, all appreciated by the cod and had
docl;; the spider crab, tayorite OF the cod,
and hosts OF shells and worms were found.
While the dred$e and trasv4 thus perform
mission. harD0OnS render
their contributions, and every cod aud had
dock, sunfish. skate, or shark that becomes
our prey are interviewed and investigated;
parasites from their mouths and fins, food
yet undigested from their stomachs, all are
bottled for study.
One strange fish that we took is worthy of
description. 1t is called locally the goose
fish, the name being given to it on account
OF peculiar way it has of obtaining its prey.
Our specimen was, perhaps, two and half
feet long-a fiat, thick, mud-colored, mis-
shapen-looking monster, whose small fins pro-
claimed it not rapid swimmer-and it is not
| Burrowing close to the mud, which it resem-
| bles, it elevates two little fishing-rods, eacn
| about twelve inches in length, formed of
| stiff, elastic substance, like the spine of a
catfish. These spring from the upper part
! Of the nose, and when not in use lie back up
| on the head. When he wishes his dinner.
! however, these are raised at various angles
and moved slowly about. On the end of each
| bangles a red muscular fibre, which dilates
| and contracts like worm. Attracted by
this tempting-lookiEg bait, the unsuspicious
pollock attempts to appropriate it. Slowly
the 'angler' lowers his lip, and suddenly en-
gulfs the unwary victim in his cavernous
mouth, which set with great fangs, opens
like an old-tashioned carpet-bag
Another curious find In our net was the
egg of a skate. This was a daIk-colored case,
of texture somewhat like beetles back, but
tougher. 1t was shaped like fisherman's
creei; u IeCtangie, with the ends cut out
leaving square centre, with four projections
on which to wind the line. The egg shell is
not unusual, for they can be found on sandy
beeches, thrown up by the tide, dried and
empty, and looking like the husk of some
nut. Ours, though, contained a living skate.
| The egg was opened, and the little creature
| released and placed in a basin of water,
| where it swan around for several days. The
! yolk of the egg was still attached to it, and
| was as large as the rest of the fish.
We tried this same experiment with young
| spiked dog-fish, species of the shark family
| We caught great numbers of the old ones, all
| females, and all containing from five to seven
| young.
One more topic and 1 will close. The Indian
shell heaps ale of great interest. On nearly all
| of the islands they are found, and always stu
| ated on southern exposure, which ms kes it
pfODdDle IudI lueSc lOcdLiOUS were lHe Wlutck
| homes of a tribe of Indians now extinct. A
| few inches of mud generally covers the mound
| which is, perhaps, two or three feet deep, and
composed mostly of the shells of the COM
mon soft clam; but in the pile we find quo
| hog shells, oyster shells, and the bones OF
| bear, deer, ducks, beavers, seals, fish, and OK
the "g eat ank," bird that has been so long
extinct that the presence of its bones in mum.
bers argues strongly in favor of the great an
/ tiouitV of these hp1nS We find also hOna
iInpiemcnts-such as avis gand needles, and
hooked needles, like those ladies use now for
crochet work; also knives made from the
| teeth of beavers, and stone arrow-heads and
spear-heads. The bones are invariably
smashed, the Indians esteeming the marrow
a great delicacy.