102 CORALLINES. THE TEREDO. 



found on this coast ; as well as many shell-fish., 

 common to both the Indian and Pacific Ocean. 

 Empty shells of the giant-clam (Tridacne gigasj 

 are usually seen amongst the refuse of dwellings : 

 the bulky animals they contained having been 

 eaten by the natives. The sandy beach of the 

 bay is strewn with dead shells, occupied by 

 hermit-crabs ; bunches of an elegant jointed 

 coralline, (FlabellariaJ the organ-pipe coralline. 

 (Tubipora musicaj sponges, sea-pens, and in- 

 credible quantities of croziers, or shells of 

 the Spirula cephalopod. Ship-borers (Teredo 

 navalis)* infest the waters of the bay to a very 

 troublesome extent. 



* While in this port, we took on board part of a man- 

 grove tree, which was found lying inland, but in a marshy 

 soil to which salt water had access, either by infiltration or 

 by occasional encroachments of the sea. Upon the log 

 being chopped for fire-wood, eleven days after we left 

 Soutranha, it was found to contain several ship-borers, 

 either alive or but very recently dead. The largest of these 

 worms was 10^ inches long by 2 in circumference. In 

 all the examples, the tail, armed with the auger or boring- 

 shells, presented towards the heart of the log ; whilst the 

 head protruded its two de icate double-penniform shelly 

 appendages (resembling plumy corallines) through a 

 minute orifice in the surface of the timber. The body of 

 the worm was, as usual, white, soft, and elastic ; and con- 

 tained a muddy fluid. 



