Chap, xiv.] PLANTS AND BIRDS. 



297 



the islands to the extent of five feet or so. Similar fragments 

 of raised reef were found by Mr. Murray at a short distance up 

 the bed of the stream already mentioned. A massive pontes 

 was one of the corals on the reef. Some specimens of this 

 species were unattached, though living, being in the form of 

 rounded masses, entirely covered with living polyps, and I 

 suppose from time to time rolled over by the waves. They 

 reminded me of the similarly detached rounded masses formed 

 by some Lichens {Lecanora esci/knfa), which are rolled about 

 over the land by the winds as are these coral colonies by the 

 waves. 



On the reefs were comparatively few free living animals, but 

 here I saw for the first time one of the huge Synaptas, which 

 are abundant amongst the East Indian Islands and at the 

 Philippines. The animal was a yard long and two inches in 

 diameter, and looked like an ugly brown and black snake. 

 The instant I touched one I knew what it was, for I felt the 

 anchor-shaped hooks in its skin cling to my hand. 



One animal on the reefs I could not understand the nature 

 of. About six white tentacles, each nearly six inches in length, 

 and of a uniform thickness of not more than ygth of an inch, 

 were expanded on the reef in a radiate manner. On irritation 

 they were slowly but entirely retracted. I could not succeed 

 in digging the owner of them out of the reef rock. I have 

 never seen this animal elsewhere. 



Above the shore the first land plant met with is the ubi- 

 quitous tropical littoral plant {Ipouuva pes capne). It is always 

 the first plant above the high-water mark in these tropical 

 shores. Above a skirting of this commenced a thick growth of 

 largish trees, a species of Barringfonia, a Fig, and the common 

 Fandanus of the Pacific Islands occupying the shore margin. 

 A few paces inside the wood it was gloomy, from the thickness 

 of the growth of trees and creepers overhead. The same climb- 

 ing Aroids grew here as at Fiji, and a Dracaena was common, 

 and also a beautiful climbing Asclepiad {Hoya) with white waxy 

 flowers, and one or two ferns. I could not penetrate the wood 

 far enough to get any adequate idea of the nature of the 

 vegetation. Five birds w^ere shot in Api, Artamus melaleucus 

 (a Shrike), a Swallow {Hirundo tahitica), a Swift, a Fruit Pigeon, 

 and the Kingfisher {Halcyon juHct). I saw no sea birds. 



The Api men wore as clothing nothing but a narrow bandage 

 of dirty European fabric of various kinds. They are a small 

 race, few, I should say, being above five feet in height. Their 

 limbs, and especially their legs, are small and badly shaped. 

 They are much darker in colour than Fijians ; they seemed 

 quiet enough. Several amongst those we saw were returned 



