SIMON'S BAY. 235 



into pink towards the summit. The vesicle was, more- 

 over, provided with three horn-like appendages, one curved 

 like an Ammonite, of deep Prussian-blue, with another of 

 a smaller size projecting from it, and a third, of a green 

 colour, situated at the opposite extremity of the vesicle. 

 The tentacles and ovaries were of dark-indigo colour. 



On the 25th of April, 1843, we were anchored in 

 Simon's Bay. As you double the Cape, the scenery 

 looks very uninviting to the eye of the naturalist, who 

 views it for the first time, but as you draw nearer, the 

 mountains grow more and more interesting. The wild 

 and naked aspect of the almost savage scenery is much 

 improved by woody gorges or chasms, and even on the 

 brown sides of the mountains, coloured patches soon 

 appear on your nearer approach, as the numerous species 

 of heaths and composite flowers begin to be recognized, 

 and now and then some picturesque knoll, crowned with 

 a fantastic tree, will interpose its form, and break the 

 monotonous outline of the landscape. 



During our stay there, the deep water of the offing 

 appeared to swarm with endless varieties of the " finny 

 drove ", and the hollows in the rocks, and the shallow 

 ponds along the sandy shores, were full of interesting 

 Mollusks, and curious Crustaceans. If you climb the 

 mountains, in some of the woody thickets you may 

 chance to hear the beautiful golden Cuckoo, uttering at 

 intervals its short, sharp note, or you may observe large 

 showy-looking Shrikes, darting about, busily intent on 

 prey, lively Creepers, clinging, in sportive attitudes, to 

 the over-hanging boughs, and the pretty Wood -pecker 

 ( Dcndrobates cjriscoccphalusj , climbing up and down the 



