115 



placed on the right side, whereas in my specimens lt was situated 

 on the left ; for in all the specimens I examiued, I found the anus 

 ■was disposed laterally and could be plainly distinguished situated on 

 the left side of the animal, a little below the first fin. This I con- 

 sider also the orifice of generation, as in some of the specimeris ex- 

 amined, a rather long string of dots resembling ova \vere seen to 

 protrude from it. One of the animals discharged frora this orifice a 

 large quantity of very light brownish fluid; this no doubt was the 

 faces. 



" But few of these animals were caught after the 20th until the 

 24th of the šame month, in latitude 2° 26' N., longitude 19° 51' W., 

 when having light airs from S. by E., nearly calm ; in the morning 

 a great number were seen floating by the ship, and it M'as not diffi- 

 cult, by aid of my towing-net, to capture as many as I reąuired, for 

 they swam very superficially upon the water. "The -n'hole of those 

 taken proved to be of the šame species (G. hexapterygivs) as thosa 

 before caught. I again placed several of the specimens in a glass 

 of seawater; they •n'ere full of life, sometimes mo\ang about, not 

 very briskly, however, — and at other times remaining floating upon 

 the surface of the water, merely gently mo\Tng the fins. A s they 

 floated upon the surface of the water in the glass, the sides of the 

 head, back, tail, fins, &c., exhibited at the time a light silvery blue 

 colour, which was admirably contrasted with the deeper blue of the 

 upper surface, and falling into the elegant pearly or silvery white of 

 the under surface of the animal, displaying an exceedingly rich and 

 elegant appearance. Often, 'when at ręst, the animal ■vv'ould drop one 

 or more of the fins, but on touching them, they would be immediate- 

 ly raised to the former position, and that organ was tumed back as 

 if to throw ofF the oflTending object, followed at the šame time by a 

 general movement of the whole body. On touching the animal upon 

 the back, it seemed to display more sensitiveness in that than in any 

 other part of the body, judging from the eflįcts produced, in com- 

 parison -nith similar experiments on other portions of the body ; for 

 instance, the centre of the back was touched lightly and rapidly with 

 a feather; -ft-hich caused the little creature to sink as if under the 

 pressure of the touch, throwing at the šame time the head, tail, and 

 all the fins upwards, foUo^'ed by a general distortion of the whole 

 body of the animal, as if the gentie touch had been productive of 

 Severe pain. I invariably found everj' part of the upper surface of 

 the body very sensitive when touched, and displayed a general move- 

 ment of uneasiness throughout the vvhole of tlie body of the crea- 

 ture. 



" These creatures have a peculiar manner of throwing the head 

 towards the tail, and flouncing the tail towards the head, when they 

 are desirous of removing any object of annoyance. It is at that time 

 these animals seem to recover from their torpidity, and evince the 

 greatest activity in their movements. When much annoyed, they 

 throw the body about -vvith great activity, coiling up the head, tail, 

 fins, &c., in a somewhatrotundiform position; and if the tormenting 



