22 DREDGING IN BOTAFOGO BAY. 



of examination. Still some fine specimens of a 

 curious flat sea-urchin (Encope marginata) and a 

 few shells^ encourag-ed us to persevere. Two days 

 after^ Mr. Huxley and myself set to work in Bota- 

 fog'o Bay^ provided with a wire-g*auze meat cover^ 

 and a curious machine for cleaning* rice 5 these 

 answered capitally as substitutes for sieves^ and 

 enabled us by a thoroug'h examination of the con- 

 tents of the dredg"e_, to detect about fort} -five species 

 of mollusca and radiata^ some of which were new 

 to science. Among^ these acquisitions I may 

 mention a new species of AmphioxuSy a g'enus of 

 small fishes exhibiting* more anomalies than any 

 other knoAvn to ichthyolog*ists^ and the lowest org*an- 

 ization found in the class ^ it somewhat resembles 

 the sand-eels of Britain in habits^ like them moving* 

 with extraordinary rapidity throug'h the sand. By 

 dint of bribery and ridicule, we had atleng'th manag-ed 

 to g'et our boatmen to work tolerably well; and 

 Avhen we were alike well roasted by the sun and 

 repeatedly drenched^ besides being* tired out and 

 hung*ry^ they had become quite submissive^ and 

 exchang-ed their gTumbling* for merriment. A more 

 lovely spot can scarce^ be found^ than the secluded 

 bay of Botafog'o with its pretty villag*e^ and the 

 noble Corcovado mountain immediately behind^ and 

 we paid it other visits. 



One of the principal characteristics of Bio is 

 slaver3\ Slaves here perform the work of beasts of 

 burthen ] and in the business parts of the city the 



