Cephalopoda^ etc., as Food. 123 



and the day on which the moon is in her last quarter. 

 They appear in much greater numbers on the second than 

 on the first day of their rising, and are only observed for 

 two or three hours in the early part of each morning of 

 their appearance. At the first dawn of day they may be 

 felt by the hand swimming on the surface of the water ; 

 and as the day advances their numbers increase, so that by 

 the time the sun has risen, thousands may be observed in a 

 very small space, sporting merrily during their short visit 

 to the surface of the ocean. On the second day they 

 appear at the same time and in a similar manner, but in 

 such countless myriads that the surface of the ocean is 

 covered with them for a considerable extent. On each 

 day, after sporting for an hour or two, they disappear until 

 the next season, and not one is ever observed during the 

 intervening time. Sometimes, when plentiful at one 

 island in one month, scarcely any are observed the next ; 

 but they always appear with great regularity at the times 

 mentioned, and these are the only times at which they are 

 observed throughout the whole year. They are found only 

 in certain parts of the islands, generally near the openings 

 of the reefs on portions of the coast on which much fresh 

 water is found ; but this is not always the case. 



" In size they may be compared to a very fine straw, 

 and are of various colours and lengths, green, brown, white, 

 and speckled, and in appearance and mode of swimming 

 resemble very small snakes. They are exceedingly brittle, 

 and if broken into many pieces, each swims off as though 

 it were an entire worm. No particular direction appeared 

 to be taken by them in swimming. I observed carefully to 

 see whether they came from seaweed or rose from the reef, 

 and feel assured they come from the latter place. The 

 natives are exceedingly fond of them, and calculate with 



