HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



rspecies of fish were captured as follows : Apogon 

 -cnneastigma,"^ Apogonichthys auritits* Scokpsis gha- 

 ttavt,* Cocsio striatJis* Chrysophrys bifasciata* 

 (tolerably common and very good eating), Serraniis 

 hcxagonafits and S. lanceolatiis, both species plentiful 

 and fairly good eating, commonly known amongst 

 sailors as "rock-cod," Ldhriims viahscna, common 

 .and good eating, Holocanthiis maculosus, Caranx 

 affinis,* Anteniiarius marmoratus, var. raniiiiis, 

 Acanthiirus nigrofusciis, Gobins echinocephalus* very 

 <:ommon amongst the coral and attaching itself to it by 

 the sucker formed by the ventral fins, retroscirtcs 

 mtratus* Tetrodon stellatus* a pretty yellow and 

 black-striped " globe-fish," and when it was first 

 hauled up in the trawl it was with difficulty that the 

 mouth and fins could be distinguished, so perfectly 

 inflated into a ball was the body ; a species of Pseudo- 

 scarus, generally known as a " parrot fish," very 

 common and good eating ; Glyphidodon ccckstitms, 

 Julis lunaris* a species of " half-beak " (Hemirham- 

 phus), so called from having the mandible elongated 

 into a long beak, large numbers of this fish would 

 on dark nights jump into the boat as we pulled about 

 the harbour, a species of belone,t several species of 

 Plagiostomi, including the hammer-headed shark 

 (Eygaena), saw-fish (Pristis), rays (Rajidre) ; a species 

 of coffer-fish (Ostracion), so-called from the body 

 being enclosed in a sort of hard casing, the only soft 

 skin being about the tail bases of the fins and snout 

 to allow the free working of the muscles in these 

 parts ; numerous species of coral-fishes (Squamipinnes) 

 glowing like butterflies in all sorts of colours and as 

 varied in shape, and several species of Thynni. We 

 had splendid opportunities of watching the fish, so 

 clear was the water, and the ship lay just outside the 

 edge of the reef, where most of the fish seemed to 

 congregate. It is interesting to watch a large shoal 

 cA fish swimming about, and how they move round an 

 obstacle following their leaders in exactly the same 

 track as if they were all in one piece. 



Of Crustacea, crabs were the most numerous, a 

 long-legged fast-running species (Gecarcinus) was in 

 great numbers on the beach, and could only be 

 caught after a hard run ; then came the hermit-crabs 

 (Paguridce) of all sizes, nearly every shell (and great 

 numbers of empty shells of all kinds lay along the 

 shore) contained a hermit-crab, and the effect of 

 seeing numbers of shells moving rapidly about is very 

 strange and rather startling ; there was also a very 

 pietty " calling-crab" (Gelasimus), a swimming-crab 

 (Portunus), and a species of the curious sponge-crab 

 (Dromia), which always carries about with it such a 

 curious collection of living things on its back. 

 Several species of prawns (Palremon) and " Locust 

 shrimps " (Squillre) were common ; also a curious 

 little Crustacean like a minute lobster, which, after 

 having been kept for some time in a glass, would 



* Deposited in the Natural History Museum, S. Kensington. 

 t " Gar-fish " of fishermen and sailors. 



throw off its limbs with aloud click, perfectly audible 

 at a distance of two yards ; and a cuttle-fish (Sepia). 

 It was somewhat strange that, although quantities of 

 empty shells could be picked up on the beach, very 

 few were fresh, the principal live shells found were 

 cowries, and even these were scarce. One land-shell 

 {Bitlimtis Abyssinicits*) only was found. 



Asteroidea, as the common starfish, sunstar and 

 brittle stars were common, two species of " sea- 

 urchin" (Echinoidea), one with long thin spines, very 

 common on the edge of the reefs in holes it makes for 

 itself, and a short thick-spined species ; there were 

 also three species of "sea-cucumbers" (Holothu- 

 roidea). Tunicates were common, but sea-anemones 

 (Hexactinire) were, comparatively speaking, rare. Of 

 corals were obtained Astrea dcfiliculata (specimens of 

 this genus were found at a depth of 15 feet at 

 Monkullo), a variety of Tubipora mitska ; Madrepora 

 gracilis, a Fungina, PTeteropera hempridii, and several 

 species of Antipathidse. At times the water was 

 brilliantly phosphorescent, particularly on the night 

 of January loth, when the sea was one mass of 

 green phosphorescent fire, the glow from which was 

 distinctly visible all over the harbour ; it appeared 

 suddenly and disappeared as suddenly, and was 

 caused by myriads of the Noctiliua mi/iaris, tons of 

 which were thrown up on the beach the next day in 

 great masses of reddish jelly (see letter in Science- 

 Gossip of February 1886). 



The varieties of minute marine life are almost 

 beyond description, though some, as species of 

 Lepralia and Cellepora, make themselves conspicuous 

 by their numbers. To those interested in marine 

 life no place offers such attractions as one of these 

 coral-formed harbours. Varieties of seaweeds were 

 not abundant, two or three species of Melano- 

 sperms growing in large patches were the most 

 noticeable. 



5. JVeather. — As in most tropical places the 

 constant regularity of the weather is wonderful, and 

 strikes forcibly an observer who has been accustomed 

 to the continual changes of the British Isles. Obser- 

 vations were taken with standard instruments (lent by 

 the Meteorological Office) regularly day and night 

 during the three months (December, January and 

 February) every two hours for the barometer, wind's 

 direction and force, and every four hours for all other 

 observations, except those on the rainfall observed at 

 8 A.M., daily, solar radiation thermometer read at 

 8 A.M., noon, and 4 P.M., and spectroscopic observa- 

 tions (using one of Browning's miniature spectroscopes) 

 at 7 A.M. daily. (l) Wind. — The phenomenon of the 

 land and sea breeze was very marked. Towards 

 9. 30 P.M., the land-wind set in ; at first very light and 

 gradually increasing, to about 4 A. M., then decreasing, 

 veering to the N. and freshening about 9.30 A.M., and 

 setting in from the sea about noon, increasing in force 



* Deposited in the Natu-al History Museum, S. Kensington. 



