408 PEARLY NAUTILUS. 



The representations of the animal in Dr. 

 Shaw's works are not at all correct ; that by 

 RumpMus is correct, as far as regards the descrip- 

 tion of the external parts of the animal. 



This species of Nautilus is stated to be called 

 Kika, lapia, and Kraiig modarig, by the natives 

 of Amboyna ; and Bia papeda, Bia cojin, by 

 the Malays. 



This animal has, for a number of years, been 

 a desideratum of science ; but some doubt existed 

 whether it might not have been captured with 

 the shell ; and the collectors, not valuing the 

 animal, or being unaware of the value attached 

 to it by naturalists, may have extracted and 

 thrown it away. 



The two following accounts confirm this sup- 

 position ; I place dependence upon the state- 

 ments, because at the time both persons were 

 ignorant of the form of the fish, and were also 

 unaware of its value : they knew it more from 

 the beautiful colours of its shell, than from any 

 other part connected with it. 



An officer of his Majesty's ship Ariadne in- 

 formed me that he caught the shell with the 

 animal within it, on a reef at the island of 

 Pemha, near Zanzibar, on the easter?i coast of 

 Africa, at the time himself and several others, 

 belonging to the ship, were seeking for shells. 



