DuringourdifferentpassagessouthofthePlata，Ioftentowedasternanetmadeofbunting，andthuscaughtmanycuriousanimals。OfCrustaceathereweremanystrangeandundescribedgenera。One，whichinsomerespectsisalliedtotheNotopodsorthosecrabswhichhavetheirposteriorlegsplacedalmostontheirbacks，forthepurposeofadheringtotheundersideofrocks，isveryremarkablefromthestructureofitshindpairoflegs。Thepenultimatejoint，insteadofterminatinginasimpleclaw，endsinthreebristle-likeappendagesofdissimilarlengths——thelongestequallingthatoftheentireleg。Theseclawsareverythin，andareserratedwiththefinestteeth，directedbackwards：theircurvedextremitiesareflattened，andonthispartfivemostminutecupsareplacedwhichseemtoactinthesamemannerasthesuckersonthearmsofthecuttle-fish。
Astheanimallivesintheopensea，andprobablywantsaplaceofrest，Isupposethisbeautifulandmostanomalousstructureisadaptedtotakeholdoffloatingmarineanimals。
Indeepwater，farfromtheland，thenumberoflivingcreaturesisextremelysmall：southofthelatitude35degs。，Ineversucceededincatchinganythingbesidessomeberoe，andafewspeciesofminuteentomostracouscrustacea。Inshoalerwater，atthedistanceofafewmilesfromthecoast，verymanykindsofcrustaceaandsomeotheranimalsarenumerous，butonlyduringthenight。Betweenlatitudes56and57degs。southofCapeHorn，thenetwasputasternseveraltimes；itnever，however，broughtupanythingbesidesafewoftwoextremelyminutespeciesofEntomostraca。Yetwhalesandseals，petrelsandalbatross，areexceedinglyabundantthroughoutthispartoftheocean。Ithasalwaysbeenamysterytomeonwhatthealbatross，whichlivesfarfromtheshore，cansubsist；Ipresumethat，likethecondor，itisabletofastlong；andthatonegoodfeastonthecarcassofaputridwhalelastsforalongtime。ThecentralandintertropicalpartsoftheAtlanticswarmwithPteropoda，Crustacea，andRadiata，andwiththeirdevourerstheflying-fish，andagainwiththeirdevourersthebonitosandalbicores；
IpresumethatthenumerouslowerpelagicanimalsfeedontheInfusoria，whicharenowknown，fromtheresearchesofEhrenberg，toaboundintheopenocean：butonwhat，intheclearbluewater，dotheseInfusoriasubsist？
WhilesailingalittlesouthofthePlataononeverydarknight，theseapresentedawonderfulandmostbeautifulspectacle。Therewasafreshbreeze，andeverypartofthesurface，whichduringthedayisseenasfoam，nowglowedwithapalelight。Thevesseldrovebeforeherbowstwobillowsofliquidphosphorus，andinherwakeshewasfollowedbyamilkytrain。Asfarastheeyereached，thecrestofeverywavewasbright，andtheskyabovethehorizon，fromthereflectedglareoftheselividflames，wasnotsoutterlyobscureasoverthevaultoftheheavens。