6 J. STANLEY GARDINER. 



a few duck, while their waters, which are quite fresh, four to five feet deep, teem with 

 sraall fish. However, as Ramazan, the Mahommedan fast month, was approaching, we had to 

 hurry on, and only stayed two nights. We accordingly, on Dec. 19th, dredged down to 

 Landu, obtaining a large variety of sponges and Polyzoa with a quantity of red Polytrema 

 and some nullipores, in addition to corals, of which the black Dendrophyllia ramea was very 

 abundant in 12 to 20 fathoms off the reefs. We visited and dredged Ma and Eddu faro 

 with three to four fathoms of water in their velu, obtaining a few Cephalochorda, and examined 

 some of the central islands of the atoll. At Manadu we caught a single specimen of Typhlops, 

 which is evidently very rare in the archipelago, since it has no native name. 



Fadiffolu atoll was reached on Dec. 23rd ; it differs from the preceding in being a true 

 atoll, having a well-defined, encircling reef especially to the east, and an open lagoon with 

 but few shoals. We first moved down the east side, examining the reefs, but then dredged 

 across to Innawari. The natives, although not actively hostile, were very unfriendly, so that 

 on Christmas morning we sailed down to Naifaro. The winter rains now commenced, and 

 continued intermittently with heavy squalls from the north-east for a month, making 

 navigation among reefs difficult. The schooner too was decidedly unpleasant, as the whole 

 of our cabin accommodation had to be utilised for storing our books, instruments and 

 various collections. We remained at Naifaro four days, restowing and repairing our vessel, 

 as she had been somewhat strained in the recent heavy weather. The time was occupied 

 in a survey of the neighbouring islands and reefs, and in thoroughly dredging some of the 

 passages into the atoll. 



The shores of all the islands at the north end of Fadiffolu I found abundantly strewn 

 with the shells of Spirula. Enquiring of the natives as to its " fish," I was surprised to 

 receive an accurate description of it. It appeared that the animals were extremely abundant 

 in January of 1897 in the channel towards Miladumadulu. "They float on the surface, 

 and may be picked up with the boat-bailer. They are never seen inside the atoll, but 

 periodically occur in the north-east monsoon in the open sea. None were seen in 1898." 

 I offered a reward of 50 rupees for the first specimen, but, although eight or nine boats 

 went out daily d\iring my stay, I did not secure one. That the people of Naifaro and 

 Innawari really know the animal is undoubted. Yet this is peculiar, as I did not find 

 on close enquiry that it was known to the natives of any other part of the whole 

 archipelago, though its shell occurs sparingly everywhere. The native name for the shell is 

 viarkana taludandi, the heron's key. 



Leaving Naifaro we again dredged across the atoll on a more southerly course, sub- 

 sequently cruising along the eastern side, dredging and examining the islands and reefs. 

 On Jan. 2ud, 1900, we set sail for Male atoll, anchoring off Helengeli the same afternoon. 

 This atoll is intermediate in its characters between Mahlos and Fadiffolu ; except at the 

 south end it has practically uo islands in the lagoon. There are evidently great changes 

 in its topography since the original survey, two islands of the eastern edge at least, resting 

 on their own reefs, having disajDpeared. There seemed to be still greater alterations in 

 respect to the shoals in the lagoon, but in our somewhat dependent position any real 

 survey was impossible owing to constant interference from Male. We, however, saw some 

 of the western reefs on our way to Goifurfehendu, and on our return journey to Male, 

 which we reached on Jan. 5th, 1900, we dredged down as close as possible to the eastern 

 reefs. Further Mr Forster Cooper in the middle of February made a most successful 



