30 



Charles Darwin. 



little water, and would use its tail like a propeller. 

 Its short spines were like those of a hedgehog, and 

 it would hardly be supposed to have enemies, yet 

 our naturalist was told by a Dr. Allan, that sharks 

 would swallow them alive, and that in one instance 

 the Diodon, objecting to this Jonah-like programme, 

 actually ate its way out through the side of the 

 shark, killing it with its sharp, bony, ivory-like teeth. 

 A peculiarity of this fish is that from the lower por- 

 tion a rich crimson dye exudes which is almost in- 

 delible. 



For two weeks the Beagle lingered at Bahia, during 

 which time the young naturalist made some re- 

 markable collections, which added materially to the 

 existing knowledge of science, then she bore away 

 to the south. 



