CHAPTER XX. 



TAHITI. JUAN FERNANDEZ. 



Death of Rudolph Von Willemoes Siihm. Scientific Papers and Journals 

 left by him. Papeete. Excursion into the Mountains. Fly-Fishing 

 in a Mountain Stream. Uses of the Wild Banana. Vegetation Com- 

 posed mainly of Ferns. Camping at Night. Tahittan Mountain 

 Map. Ascent to 4,000 feet Altitude. Petrels Nesting at this Height. 

 Their possible Influence in Distribution of Plants. Ignorance of the 

 Natives concerning the Mountains. Mode of Alternation of Genera- 

 tions in the Mushroom Coral. Structure of Millepora. .Structure of 

 the Stylasteridae. Catching Land-Crabs. Tahitian National Air. 

 Juan Fernandez. Preponderance of Ferns. Destruction of Trees. 

 Gunnera Chilensis. Conspicuous Flowers. Humming Birds of the 

 Island. Their Fertilization of Flowers. Smallness of the Island 

 compared with the Number of Endemic Forms. Endemic Palm. 

 Dendroseris. 



Tahiti. Society Islands, September 18th to October 3rd, 

 1875. — The voyage to Tahiti occupied a month. It was pain- 

 fully impressed upon the memories of us all by the death of 

 Von Willemoes Suhm, which was caused by a rapid and 

 virulent attack of erysipelas. Rudolph von Willemoes Suhm 

 had been, before he joined the " Challenger " Expedition, 

 assistant to the illustrious Profe.ssor von Siebold of Munich. 

 He had distinguished himself by his researches as a naturalist 

 before he joined the " Challenger." 



He left many descriptions of animals and drawings, some 

 complete, others only partly finished. They comprehended 

 about 72 plates of octavo size and a few drawings of larger 

 size. Amongst these there are 13 of Annelids, mostly from 

 the . deep sea. About 50 are of Crustacea, including five 

 showing the development of Euphausia complete from the 

 Naiiplius stage ; six illustrating the development of two species 

 of Sergestes, and three on the development oi Antphion. Four; 

 are of Pteropods. One of these, labelled by Von Suhm as: 

 Clionider Pteropod, is a most remarkal)le form, with large eyes ' 

 borne on long stalks. Von Suhm was uncertain whether it 

 w^ns to be regarded as the larva of a new form of Cephalopod. . 



445 



