24 BERMUDA. 



tine was known hitherto, and that was discovered by Semper 

 in the Philippine Islands ; this worm Von Suhm named Tetra- 

 stemma agrkola, placing it in the same genus with certain 

 aquatic species.* When irritated it darts out its armed pro- 

 boscis with great rapidity in defence. It also uses the proboscis 

 as an aid in progression, shooting it out and fixing its tip to a 

 distant point and then drawing the body up to the point by 

 contracting the protruded organ. The animal is ciliated all 

 over, and has two pairs of eyes. The earth in which it lives 

 contains a good deal of salt. The animal was found to live 

 for hours in salt water, but to die at once when placed in fresh 

 water. 



The corals of Bermuda may be seen growing to great advan- 

 tage by the use of a water glass. The species are very few in 

 number, there being only about ten species of Anthozoan corals, 

 and two of Hydrozoan. The latter two species of Millepora 

 are very abundant, and contribute largely to the reef formation. 

 AVhile some species, such as the great "Brain coral" {Diploria 

 cerei'rifor/nis), which is conspicuous at the bottom as a bright 

 yellow mass, appear to prefer to grow where the water is lighted 

 up by the sunshine ; other species, such as Millepora rainosa 

 and Symphyllia dipsacea, seem to thrive best in the shade. 

 One species, Mycedimn fragile, which forms very thin and 

 fragile plate-like lamina:;, which are, when bleached white, 

 almost the most beautiful of corals, occurs growing in colonies 

 in great abundance, in water from a foot to a fathom in depth 

 inside small caverns. 



All around the Bermuda coast, wherever it is at all sheltered, 

 large black Holothurians are excessively numerous. They 

 are to be seen covering the white sandy bottom all over, lying 

 a few^ feet only apart 



I was greatly indebted during my stay at the Bermudas to 

 General' Sir J. H. Lefroy, C.B., F.R.S., then governor of the 

 islands, both for his kind hospitality and constant information 

 and assistance in scientific matters. 



For a further account of the geology of the Bermudas, see " Nautical 

 Magazine," 1868, p. 486, and also J. M. Jones, F.L.S. on the "Geological 

 Features of the Bermudas." Trans. Nova Scotian Institute of Nat. Hist., 

 May 10, 1869. 



* A. Von Willemoes Suhm, Ph.D., "On a Land Nemertine found in 

 the Bermudas." Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1874, XIII., p. 409. D. L. 

 Gralf has described, under the name Geoiicntcrtcs Chalicopliora, a land 

 Nemertine found in the Palm garden at Frankfurt Morphol. Jahrbitch 

 5. s. 430. Others found by G D. J. D. De Man, in Holland, also a 

 terrestrial Khabdocoele Geocentrophora Spliyrocephala. Ty'Is der heder 

 Dierkunde Vcrcen, 1876, p. 62, 



