Darros Island — Distribution of Corals. 221 



and remained for a long time hovering about it, as if terrified at 

 the immensity of the world, and loth to venture away from its 

 former narrow dwelling. 



In some small holes about the centre of the islet we found 

 a land-crab, apparently similar to that of Bird Island ; and from 

 some large burrows issued the peculiar groaning sounds made by 

 the night petrel. 



One of the most singular features in the zoology of the islet 

 was the abundance of a hermit crab, — occupying a Neritina shell, — 

 which was to be seen and heard creeping over the stems and 

 branches of the bushes in all directions. They seemed for the 

 time to have entirely adopted terrestrial habits. 



We got under way again on the morning of the 20th of March, 

 and, after spending the day in sounding from the ship, steamed up 

 to Darros Island, and again anchored. 



This island is somewhat circular in shape, and has a maximum 

 diameter of three-quarters of a mile. It is inhabited by a French- 

 man and his wife, who are assisted by nine negro labourers from 

 Mahe\ Adjoining are nine small islets, bearing a rich crop of 

 cocoa-nuts. Darros Island itself as yet produces next to nothing, 

 but it contains a large plantation of young cocoa-nuts, which in 

 five or six years will doubtless be productive. Immediately 

 behind the Frenchman's house, and affording an agreeable shade, 

 was a handsome grove of Casuarinas about eighty feet in height. 

 They were nineteen years old, as we subsequently ascertained. 

 Many introduced plants — such as papaws, cotton, pumpkin, etc. — 

 were growing in a neglected state over the island. 



We dredged from the ship as she lay at anchor in twenty-one 

 to twenty-two fathoms, over a bottom which was mainly com- 

 posed of coral debris, and among the living organisms brought 

 up were three species of stony corals. This circumstance is of 

 interest as regards the bathy metrical distribution of corals, inas- 

 much as Dana, judging from the results of observations made by 

 various authorities, considers that twenty fathoms may be regarded 



