A CORAL REEF. 103 



aiid^ with some fine NaticcB^ and a PyramideUa, 

 may be found by tracing* the marks of their long* 

 burrows. Several Stromhi and Nassa coronata 

 inhabit the shallow sandy pools ; the egg'-shell and 

 many Cyprcece occur under coral blocks^ which^ 

 Avhen over sand^ often harbour different kinds of 

 cones — of which the handsome C, Textile is the 

 commonest. A delicate white Lima (L.fragilis) is 

 abundant here^ merrily swimming* away in the pool 

 under an upturned stone^ and leaving* its fringe-like 

 tentacles adhering* to the hand when seized. 

 Lastly^ it would be improper to omit mentioning- 

 the very fine oysters adhering* to the roots of the 

 mang'roves. But these are only a small portion of 

 the shell-fish collected here. Among* radiate ani- 

 mals^ several OpJdurce and Opkiocomce and other 

 AsteriadcBj with two kinds of Echinus^ are also 

 plentiful under blocks of coral [Astrcea and Ilean- 

 drina) in the pools ; one of the last^ remarkable for 

 its very long*^ slender^ black spines^ has the power 

 of giving* an exceedingly painful puncture^ if 

 carelessly handled — for a few minutes the sensation 

 is similar to that caused by the sting* of a wasp ; of 

 the others^ a fine Ophiiira is remarkable for its 

 g*reat size and g*rass-g*reen colour^ and an Opldocoma 

 for the prodigious length of its arms. 



July 19th. — Six days ago we anchored under the 

 lee of the reef on which the Hope Islands are 

 situated^ but in a position which afforded little 

 shelter. While off Cape Tribulation^ a remarkable 



