— 16 -» 



Scorpions and Centipedes were plentiful, especially on 

 the Palms. The former were quite green, and could scarcely 

 be distinguished from the leaves ; though they changed to 

 brown on being put into alcohol. They were about two inches 

 in length, o'f a species I have not seen in Mauritius. 



I captured two insects of the genus Phasma ; one six inches 

 long all green, and the other of a dark brown of four inches, 

 but of a different species to the Mauritian ones . 



I observed a curious Bee, of considerable size. The ge- 

 neral colour was a deep crimson, striated on the body with 

 three or four yellow bands. It was feeding on the flowers of 

 the Ipovicea inaritima. I have not as yet found this Bee in 

 Mauritius. 



There were coleopterous insects, I think,;^of the genus Tet' 

 ramerans, on the leaves of the Juboea spedahilis ; also three 

 epecies of dipterous insects. Snakes are not uncommon here. 

 One Lieut. Eobinson killed of the genus Heteredon was about 

 two feet long, and two inches in circumference. The back was 

 mottled with black and white spots, and the beUy reddish with 

 black markings. It is what a Naturalist would call an ugly 

 customer ; it does not run from you, but elevates its head at 

 your approach, and prepares to give battle. 



A large one was seen by one of the fishermen, who said it 

 was 6 or 7 ieet long, and as large round as his arm. He was 

 carrying a long pole on his shoulder, at each end of which were 

 suspended several Pailles-en-queues, or Tropic birds, (Flmton 

 rubricauda.) The snake reared his head to attack him, when 

 he dropped the pole, to pick up a stone to throw at it, but 

 the birds made such a noise, the reptile slunk away into a 

 heap of vacoa leaves near by and he lost it. 



Towards the N. E, I came suddenly to the edge of a deep 

 gorge before I was aware of it, formed by torrents of water 

 pouring down it for ages- In some places it is 500 or 600 

 feet deep, and as I stood on its brink to look down into the 

 abyss below, over the tops of the palms that fill its sides, I 

 shuddered as I thought of the fall I should have had if I had 

 gone over. 

 At the foot of the gorge opening out to the sea, the rocks 



