BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 



763 



to 22° 30' S. lat. and 164° to 167° E. long., and has an area of 

 6,450 square miles, with a population of about 62,750. 



" The natives of New Caledonia," Mr. Hedley tells me, " are 

 Melanesians allied to the Fijians; in former days they were, like 

 kindred races, inveterate cannibals ; civilised rule has now, how- 

 ever, stamped out this. Some years ago they made a vigorous 

 attempt to strike off the French yoke, but the insurrection was 

 crushed after much bloodshed Now military posts are distri- 

 buted throughout the island, and there is no danger of any 

 serious distm-bance. The natives are rapidly diminishing in 

 numbers, and their total disappearance seems to be a matter of 

 the near future." 



Notwithstanding that the island has now been for forty-four 

 years under the dominion of France, a nation which justly prides 

 itself on its scientific attainments, it is astonishing how little 

 has been done to elucidate the fauna of this interesting colony; 

 and in no branch is this neglect more apparent than in ichthyo- 

 logy, the study of all others, among the chordates at all events, 

 which, one would think, should have commended itself to the 

 notice of the residents. 



A glance over the introduction to Crosse's paper convinces us 

 that this favoured region, though so long settled and so compara- 

 tively close to the scientific centres of Australia, is still almost 

 virgin ground to the biologist ; it is hoped that the present short 

 notice will draw attention to so important a subject, and induce 

 some resident of the island to either provide us with a list of the 

 species of fishes inhabiting its waters or forward collections to 

 some recognised authority. 



I do not anticipate the presence of any startling novelties, but 

 the position of the island should make the study of its fauna and 

 flora of great interest. 



Mr. Hedley has kindly supplied me with the following interest- 

 ing information : — ■ 



" On passing along the east coast a marked change is noticed 

 when the traveller leaves the serpentine rocks, which yield the 



