158 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
Strombus, Trochus, Turbo, Pteroceras, Conus, Oliva, Cerithium, 
and many others. As we dug in the refuse we half expected to 
find a human bone suggestive of an occasional cannibal feast. Bits 
of charcoal and pottery were the only finds. 
The largest river in Fiji is the Rewa. This stream has developed 
a wide delta deposit over a part of the broad coral flat to the west 
of Suva. The mud from the river doubtless affects life on the 
flats for some distance out to sea. Well out from the mouth, or 
mouths, of the Rewa are two islands, Nukulau and Makuluva. The 
former is the site of the quarantine station for Fijians and East 
Indians. It is wooded, larger, higher, and more inhabited by 
birds and insects than is Makuluva. A brief walk along the beach 
opposite the dock showed that the shore shells are chiefly bivalves 
rather than univalves as is the ease at the other island. Arcas of 
two or three kinds were very common. A fine banyan tree, a 
breadfruit, a pandanus, and three majestic tamarinds form the 
background of the quarantine buildings which are under the care 
of a real character, a Mr. Sadler. He has three fine dogs one of 
which dives for and catches fish, brings them ashore, and deposits 
them at his master’s door! 
Makuluva is a typical coral-sand island located on the flat far- 
ther out than Nukulau but still a mile or more inside the barrier 
reef. The flats are a wonderful sight at low tide. They extend 
for many miles inside of and parallel to the barrier. These hun- 
dreds of acres are dotted with shallow tide pools in which thous- 
ands of small forms seek refuge until the return of the tide. Ser- 
pent stars, sea-urchins, prawns, crabs, eels, small colored fishes, 
molluses, and so on, abound. Toward the edge and near the surf 
line are great heads of Orbicella, Porites, Meandrina, Pocillopora, 
and other coral of many brilliant hues. 
Acres of slimy alge occur in places. Tunnels and holes bored 
by sea-urchins, cross channels fretted out by the coming and going 
tides, and loose coral heads impede one’s progress; five-rayed star- 
fish of the deepest ultramarine blue are common, a steely-blue to 
black holothurian lies helpless among the rocks, one’s foot just 
misses the trap of a Tridacna, an innocent looking prawn gives a 
shock like a pistol crab, a savage and aggressive moray eel claims 
the right-of-way as one turns over a stone, an innocent little fish 
gives the hand a painful sting, a ‘‘sea-scorpion’’ with its hundreds 
of sharp setae is allowed to go in peace, a nudibranch of gorgeous 
