22 LORD HOWE isla:nd. 



pastoral purposes, and has, in the meantime, been wisely declared by Govern- 

 ment a botanical reserve. It is, however, most favourably situated for a fishing 

 station, within easy reach of Port Jackson by fast steam packets. Even a 

 ketch covers the distance, with a favourable wind, in three days — the 

 surrounding seas teeming W'itli fish — the Lagoon forming a safe anchorage 

 for small craft in almost any wind — and the entrances capable of great im- 

 provement, so that small draft supply steamers could also be admitted, except 

 in the foulest weather — and finally, excellent sites for the accommodation of 

 a fishino- population. Everything tends to indicate that the future of Lord 

 Howe Island is interwoven with the question of the fish supply of New 

 South Wales. 



Poh/zoa. — Beyond the fact that few^ species were obtained, little can be 

 said of the Polyzoa. In all probability had our arrangements for dredging 

 been better our success would have been greater. The following are the 

 species obtained, as determined by Mr. "Whitelegge : — 



Schizoporella hyalina, Linn. 



,, tuberosa, Eeuss. 



Aetea recta, Hindis. 

 Scruparia chelata, Linn. 

 Menipea cervicornis, M^GilUvray. 

 Bugula neritina, Linn, (with avicularia). 

 Catenicella elegans, BnsJc. 



„ venusta, M'GilUvrat/. 



Discopoi'ella noTfe-zelaudipe. 

 Idmonea, sp. 



,, radians, Milne JEdw. 

 Steganoporella, sp. 

 Lepralia, sp. 

 Membranipora, sp. 



Jlollnsca. — The distribution of mollusean life at Lord Howe Island may 

 be considered under four aspects, that of the Coral-reef, that of the Lagoon 

 within it, tliat of the shore generally, irrespective of the former, between 

 high and low-water marks, and the deep water shells. In fact, it may be said 

 that these remarks apply generally to the whole marine fauna. As pre- 

 viously stated, we w^ere able to study the Coral reef and its objects only at 

 its extreme northern and southern ends, where, however, it was found to be 

 very rich in life. The Lagoon, on the other hand, proved very barren, much 

 to our surprise, but it is possible that our dredging operations might have 

 yielded better results could w^e have had the assistance of steam-power. The 

 general sameness of marine life cast upon its sandy beach would sujjport the 

 opinion that it is not prolific in objects of interest. The shore fauna differs 

 essentially from that of the Coral-reef, chiefly in its simplicity, and the super- 

 abundance of a few special forms. Of the deep water fauna we are practi- 

 cally ignorant, the state of the weather during the greater portion of our 

 residence there and the want of adequate apparatus quite putting a stop to 

 anv possible investigations. Mr. John Brazier has named the whole of the 

 Mollusca. 



It may be naturally inferred that our gatlieriugs in the Cephalopoda, the 

 highest group of the Mollusca, were of a very limited nature. In fact, we 

 obtained three representatives of the Decapoda, Spirula Peroni, Lamk., 

 Onycliotcutliis BanJcsi, Leach, and Sepia latimanus, Q. & Gr. The posthorn- 

 like shells of the former cover some parts of the Lagoon beach in hundreds, 

 and at those spots it is imjDOseible to walk without crushing numbers of this 



