26 A NATURALIST OX THE " CHALLENGER." 



screaming nil the while. Only one egg is laid, and it is of a 

 dark red colour like that of the Kestrel. Eats abound in the 

 islands, and I saw one hunting about the holes evidently on 

 the look-out for eggs or young. These must be the only enemies 

 the birds have except man, and they would find no difficulty in 

 driving the rats off, but I saw several eggs broken and sucked, 

 no doubt in their absence. 



On one of the islands I saw a pair of crows, but they were 

 very scarce, since blood-money to the extent of two-shillings a 

 head had been put upon their heads by the Government. 



Crabs abound at Bermuda : a species of Grapsus, a crab which 

 will be frequently referred to by me, climbs the mangrove trees 

 with the greatest ease. A white Sand-crab (Ocypoda), burrows 

 deep in the sand-hills, and is very difficult to dig out, and a huge 

 ugly Land-crab (Cardisoma) is common further inland. A small 

 White-crab (JRemvpes) lives in the sand on the shore just below 

 the verge of the water ; it burrows rapidly in the sand until 

 covered, and then by ejecting a small jet of water from its gills 

 clears a small passage for respiration, remaining concealed. 



A land Nemertine worm was discovered by Von Willemoes 

 Suhm, living in moist earth. Only one other terrestrial Nemer- 

 tine was known hitherto, and that was discovered by Semper in 

 the Philippine Islands ; this worm Von Suhm named Tetras- 

 temma agricola, placing it in the same genus with certain 

 aquatic species* When irritated it darts out its armed proboscis 

 with great rapidity in defence. It also uses the proboscis as an 

 aid in progression, shooting it out and lixing its tip to a distant 

 point and then drawing the body up to the point by contracting 

 the protruded organ. The animal is ciliated all over, and has 

 two pairs of eyes. The earth in which it lives contains a good 

 deal of salt. The animal was found to live for hours in salt 

 water, but to die at once when placed in fresh water. 



The corals of Bermuda may be seen growing to great advan- 

 tage by the use of a water glass. The species are very few in 

 number, there being only about ten species of Anthozoan corals, 

 and two of Hydrozoan. The latter two species of MiUepora are 



* A. Von Willemoes Suhm, Ph.D., " On a Land Nemertine found in 

 the Bermudas." Ann. and Mag. Nat, Hist. 1874, XIII, p. 409, 



