TAHITI. 535 



I have given an account of the Stylastericlce in this place, 

 because any description of them must necessarily follow that of 

 the Milleporidce* In having in each colony, polyps of several 

 kinds, and of separate functions, with a regular system of division 

 of labour, the Hydrocorallince resemble the Siphonophora, Hy- 

 droids which form similar colonies, which are free-swimming at 

 the ocean surface, instead of fixed to the bottom like the corals. 



To return to Tahiti : — The ground just above the shore near 

 Papeete is everywhere burrowed by large Land Crabs. The 

 Crabs are difficult to catch; never, in the daytime at least, 

 going far from their holes, but watching a passer-by from near 

 the mouths of their retreats, and bolting in if suspicious of 

 danger, like rabbits. An old marine, whose name was Leary, who 

 acted as my constant assistant in collecting on shore, invented 

 a plan by which he caught some of the largest and oldest of 

 the crabs. He tied a bit of meat on the end of a string-, 

 fastened to a fishing rod, and by dragging the meat slowly 

 enticed the Crabs from their holes, and then made a dash forward 

 and put his foot in the hole, and so caught them. The largest 

 Crabs were far more difficult to catch than the younger ones. 



It is curious how little animals seem to be frightened by a 

 long wand like a fishing-rod. I have seen Mr. Thwaites in 

 Ceylon put a noose of Palm Fibre, fastened at the tip of a rod 

 of this kind over the heads of numbers of Lizards, and carry 

 them off thus sniggled to put them into spirit for Dr. Gunther. 

 The Lizards sat quite quietly to receive the noose, though if Ave 

 had moved a foot nearer to them they would have run off at 

 once. Snakes and Lizards are nearly all caught in this manner 

 in the Peradeniya Gardens. 



We got up anchor and steamed out of Papeete Harbour to 

 the time of the Tahitian National Air, a quick and lively jig 

 characteristic of the place, and which sets the Tahitians danc- 

 ing at once. It is popular with the French also : and as we 



* For a detailed account of the structure of the Stylasteridse, see 

 H. N. Moseley, " Preliminary Note on the Structure of the Stylasteridre." 

 Proc. Eoy. Soc, No. 172, 1876, p. 93. Also, "On the Structure of the 

 Stylasteridse, a Family of Hydroid Stony Corals." The Croonian Lecture. 

 Phil. Trans. Eoy. Soc. 1878. 



