102 ANIMALS OF 



During" our stay we were fortunate in having* 

 fine weather^ lig*ht winds^ and low tides^ which 

 enabled such as were inchned to look for shells upon 

 the reef to do so under the most favourable cir- 

 cumstances. This reef is of g'reat extent^ with all 

 the varieties of coral^ mud^ and sand^ and proved a 

 most productive one. A sketch of the distribution 

 of the principal of its productions may be of interest 

 to some. Many kinds of fishes^ Murcenay DiodoUy 

 Balistes^ Serranus, &:c. are found in the pools among* 

 the coral blocks j the first of these^ of brig-ht 

 colours variously striped and spotted^ resemble 

 water-snakes^ and are exceeding'ly active^ g'liding* 

 throug-h the interstices in the coral and hiding* in its 

 hollows^ — they bite savagely at a stick presented to 

 them^ and are by no means pleasant neig^hbours 

 while wading* about knee-deep and with bare arms 

 turning* over the coral which they frequent. On a 

 former occasion I had been laid hold of by the 

 thumb^ and the wound was a long* time in heahng-. 

 Crustacea are also numerous 3 blue and g*reen 

 Gonodactyli leap about with a sharp chcking* 

 noise — legions of Ilyctei^is subverrucata traverse 

 the dry sands at low water— and in the shallow 

 mudd}^ pools^ dull green ThcdamitcB and Lupece swim 

 off rapidly^ and smooth Calappce seek refuge by 

 burrowing" under the surface. 



Of moUusca^ two species of olive [0, erytlirostoma 

 and 0, leiicophoea) were found on the sandy margin 

 of the islet — several Cerlthia and Suhulce (S, macu- 

 liita and S, occidata) creep along the sand flats^ 



