OCT. 1768 MARINE ANIMALS I? 



yet been described according to Linnseus's system, so called 

 it Larus crepidatus. Its food here seems to be chiefly 

 Helices, on account of its dung being of a lively red colour, 

 much like that which was procured from the shells. 



1 2th. A shark, Sgualus carcharias, Linn., taken this morn- 

 ing, and with it two pilot fish. I went out in the boat 

 and took several blubbers. The pilot fish, Gasterosteus dwtor, 

 Linn., is certainly as beautiful a fish as can be imagined ; it 

 is of a light blue, with cross streaks of darker colour. It is 

 wonderful to see them about a shark, swimming round it 

 without expressing the least signs of fear ; what their 

 motive for doing so is, I cannot guess, as I cannot find 

 that they get any provision by it, or any other emolument, 

 except possibly that the company of the shark keeps them 

 free from the attacks of dolphins or other large fish of 

 prey, who would otherwise devour them. 



The blubbers taken to-day were Beroe labiata and mar- 

 supialis, Mas., the first of which made a pretty appearance 

 in the water by reason of its swimmers, which line its side 

 like fringes, and are of a fine changeable colour ; and 

 Callirrhoe bivia, Mss., the most lifeless lump of jelly I 

 have seen ; it scarcely seems to be possessed of life, but for 

 one or two motions we saw it make. 



13th. A shark taken, but not one pilot fish attended 

 it, which is rather uncommon, as they are seldom without 

 a shoal of from ten to twenty. At noon I went in the 

 boat, and took the Sallee man, PJiyllodoce velella, Linn., which 

 is a sailor, but inferior in size to the Portuguese man-of- 

 war, yet not without its beauty, chiefly from the charming 

 blue of the lower side. Its sail is transparent, but not 

 movable, so it trusts itself to the mercy of the winds, 

 without being able to turn to windward, as the Portuguese 

 man-of-war perhaps can. We saw several of these latter 

 to-day, and observed many small fish under their tentacula, 

 which seemed to shelter there, as if with its stings it could 

 defend them from large enemies. 



1 5th. I had the good fortune to see a bird of the shear- 

 water kind, which I shot ; it proved not to have been 



c 



