336 APPENDIX. 



empty shells ; a large Mytilus, a small Modiola, 

 Turritella, Turbo, Balanus : and a Holothuria of the 

 variety Psolus. 



In the vast sea between the coast of Chili and the 

 Low Islands or the dangerous Archipelago, very few 

 animals appear to live near the surface, at least we 

 saw none ; a quantity of flying-fish were seen, resem- 

 bling the Exoccetus volitans, but having the rays of 

 the breast- fins parted towards the end. During the 

 short space of ^en days that we stayed at O Tahaiti, 

 the inhabitants, who for a trifling remuneration 

 brought us all sorts of marine animals, enabled us 

 to make acquaintance with all the natural produc- 

 tions of this much praised country. Birds are scarce 

 in the lowlands along the coast. The little blue 

 Psittacus Taitianus frequents the top of the cocoa- 

 palm ; the Ardea sacra walks along the coral reefs ; 

 but it is seldom that a tropical bird is seen on the 

 wing. A Gecko of the species Hemidactylus lives 

 aboutold houses ; a small lizardof the family of Scin- 

 coidea, with a copper-coloured body and a blue tail, 

 and a striped Ablepharus, are met with frequently 

 among the rocks. Of fishes, the variety is great, 

 many of them of splendid colours, particularly the 

 small ones, which feed upon the coral, and seek 

 shelter among its branches. The same place of re- 

 fuge is chosen by numbers of variegated crabs, more 

 particularly the Grapsus, Fortiaius, and Galathea. 

 Three kinds of Canceres already known were brought 

 us, the maciilatus, corallinus, and Jloridus ; the two 



