The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-08-27

When the Swedish bark Monarch,
which is now in the Erie basin, New
York, discharging nitre, left Antwerp
for Valparaiso some months ago, her
mate, Mr.. George Won Scheele, was
commissioned by the University OF
Upsala to collect specimens of Ma
rine animal life during his voyage.
His efforts were to be especially di-
rected to the collection of such spec
linens as are found on the surface OF
the ocean IN various ATTITUDES thro'
which he would be obliged to pass.
Mr.. Won Scheele provided himself
with large number of bottles and
tanks, quantity of alcohol, and a
simple drag net made of thin cotton
cloth fastened to galvanized iron
hoop. Every day, when the speed
of the vessel was not too great, Mr..
Won Scheele lowered the drag from
the lee quarter of the poop deck. Il
put it there" he said. because the
ship in drifting to leeward would
naturally accumulate the floating
animals and weeds, and would leave
them in a line along the lee side OF
the wake"
The voyage out to Valparaiso
lasted 101 days, and from that port
to New York 70 days. As a result
of his labor Mr.. Won Scheele has
nearly 900 bottles of various sizes,
besides a dozen small iron tanks,
filled with specimens preserved in
alcohol. How many distinct varie-
ties there are Mr.. Won Scheele does
not know, having no glass for min
ute examinations, but probably
there are several thousand. One oil
the specimens likely to attract the
attention of a non-expert in such
matters is lobster from the Island
of Juan Fernandez. It's very near
Iy four feet in length, and in its al
cobol bath has the reddish-yellow
appearance of its northern relatives
when ready for the table. Another
of The specimens will be of special
interest TO scientists, because it is en-
closed in delicate film or nest,
about which there has been consid
cradle dispute A ribbon fish, four
or five inches long, was visible when
in the water only because of its eyes,
which were little black dots, the
body being as transparent as the wa
ter that surrounded it. In the alco-
hol it has become shriveled white
tape of milky color. Another
specimen is white spider, with a
body two inches long and tentacles
five inches long, that give it much
the appearance Off miniature cutie
fish.
4 large part of the collection is
believed to be new to investigators
A peculiar looking grub, having legs
shaped like birds claws, which was
found in the mouth of a flying fish
! is supposed to be one of the new
species. There are probably also
new varieties of well known specie:
in the lot.
One interesting feature of the col
lection is the differencein in the nature
of the specimens collected in the
same locality under different Cir
cumstances, the ship having passed
twice over the same ground, once
during pleasant weather and once III
gale. In pleasant weather delicate
little animals, hardly visible to the
naked eye, were found, besides q
number of common shrimps, bu
out of the crests of the waves in the
gale the drag brought nothing but a
chunky little yellow crab, never
more thar half an inch long and
usually much shorter. The crabs
clung TO the meshes of the drag with
such tenacity that some of them los
their claws when they were remov
ed.
Mr.. Won Scheele is very intelli
gent seaman, and takes much inter
est in the subject he is studying
The bark will be loaded with kero
sene for the East Indies after it ha:
discharged its cargo here, and Mr.
Won Scheele believes be will obtair
many more new specimens out there
than he found in the voyage from
Valparaiso.