WATERSPOUTS. 355 



beautifully-banded Water-snakes, of the thickness of a 

 man's leg, lying extended supinely along the glassy 

 surface, or diving and swimming gracefully, with slow 

 undulating, lateral movements of their vertically-com- 

 pressed bodies. 



Waterspouts were very common phenomena, in these 

 beautiful seas, many dozens occurring all around us at the 

 same time. They were of small size, and varied consi- 

 derably in shape, some being like a trumpet, some li^e 

 a very wide-mouthed funnel, and some resembling the 

 curved form of the Cornucopia. 



To give some idea of the splendour in the colouring of 

 tropical fishes, I here copy from my journal the colours 

 of a species of Balistes, taken by us at Sooloo. Upper half 

 of body pale brown, with two broad stripes of deeper 

 brown extending backwards towards the dorsal fin ; four 

 well-defined and narrow streaks descending posteriorly to 

 anal fin ; a bright spot of ultramarine blue round the 

 anus ; iris golden ; a dark greenish-brown, triangular 

 mark, margined with deep blue, reaching from beneath 

 the eye to the base of the pectoral fin ; over the eye and 

 summit of the head, a deep blue colour, with a lighter 

 streak running down before the eye to base of pectoral 

 fin ; a bright blue stripe above the upper lip, reaching 

 to the angle of the mouth ; from this point to a little 

 below the pectoral fin, a deep orange-yellow stripe ; all 

 below this, and on the belly, pure dead white ; a pale 

 oval mark on the tail ; all the fins light semi-transparent 

 brown. A Scorptena, of a fine brilliant scarlet, and with 

 very poisonous spines, is also very common at Sooloo A 

 Pegasus, of a light sea-green, mottled with darker green ; 



2A2 



