386 A MISSION TO VITI. 



presented by a chameleon and four other species. The 

 largest is Chloroscartes fasciatus, Giinth., with a body two 

 feet long, and of a beautiful green colour, somewhat like 

 that of the German tree frogs ; indeed, the Chloroscartes 

 inhabits trees, and I had one alive for some time. Cro- 

 codiles are not indigenous, but about the beginning 

 of this century a large one made its appearance in Fiji, 

 probably having been drifted thither from the East In- 

 dies. The natives, as related by Mariner ('Tonga,' vol. i. 

 p. 334), fancied it had come from Bulu, from heaven, 

 and they had some difficulty in catching it, not, how- 

 ever, before it caused some mischief. 



There is a great variety of both salt, fresh- water, and 

 land shells, probably several hundred species, and a 

 number of them are quite peculiar to Fiji. The collec- 

 tive name for shells is " Qa ni Vilivili," Vilivili being 

 the animal, Qa the shell. The most famous Fijian shell 

 is the orange cowry (Cyprcea aurantium, Martyn), which 

 is found in no other part of the world, though some 

 works state it to have been found in Tahiti an error 

 originating in Mr. Cuming having purchased a single 

 specimen in that island. There are several other cowries 

 also used, as the orange cowry is, for necklaces and 

 ornaments by the natives. Canoes, houses, temples, and 

 churches are frequently decorated with the Buliqaqau 

 (Ovulmn ovum, Sowb.)j not the Cyprcea ovula, as stated 

 in some works. Several other species of shells are 

 also used for ornamental purposes ; the Sobii or Sovui 

 is on that account much valued. Armlets (Qatos) are 

 made of the Sici, Taluvi, Tebe, Tebetabe, or Toru 

 (Trochus Niloticus, Linn.). A pearl-oyster shell, Civa 

 or Cove of the natives, is ground, and serves for orna- 



