256 



MATUKU ISLAND. 



and roots. From what I have seen of its habits, I should expect 

 that it would be drowned by long immersion in water. The 

 Fijian species is Periophthalmus Kolreuteri. Dr. Giinther, in 

 his description of the genus, remarks : " These fishes are able to 

 progress out of the water, on humid places, and to hunt after 

 their prey, which consist of terrestrial insects," etc.* 



The natives of Matuku were mostly regular Fijians, though 

 there were some pure Tongans amongst them, immediately to be 

 distinguished by their use of the forehead muscles in expression. 

 No doubt there is also mixed blood in the island. The houses 

 of the people were miserably dirty, and built on filthy black 

 muddy flats close to the sea. 



PERIOPHTHALMUS KOLREUTERI. 

 On land ; in act of leaping. 



I saw a boy make his way over a mangrove swamp, with 

 remarkable rapidity, by crawling over the tops of the mangrove 

 roots, and thus avoiding the mud below. The coast natives 

 in parts of New Guinea are said to traverse the low swampy 

 shore in just the same manner. 



In dredging off Matuku Island, in 320 fathoms, on a coral 

 bottom, some Fhonis, Tiirriteiia, and a few other shells were 

 brought up, as well as numerous specimens of the blind crusta- 

 cean, Folycheks, and other animals, showing the fauna to be a 

 true deep water one, and with these a living specimen of the 

 Pearly Nautilus {Naiifilus pompilius). This was the only speci- 

 men obtained during the voyage of this animal, so rarely seen 

 in the living condition by any Naturalist. 



The animal was very lively, though probably not so lively as 



* Dr. A. Gunther, " Brit. Mus. Cat., Fishes," Vol. III., p. 97. 

 [For a further account of Periophthalmus see S. J. Hickson, " A Natura- 

 list in North Celebes," p. 30. London, John Murray, 1889.] 



