JAMAICA. i8i 



whale of Havre {DelpJiinorhynchns microptcrus), of which 

 at that time a solitary specimen, washed up at the mouth 

 of the Seine, was the only one described by any naturalist. 

 A little further on, off the west extremity of Puerto Rico, 

 a shoal of the other species of this rare genus, Delphino- 

 rhyjicJuis rostratus, or the rosy-bellied dolphin, fell under 

 Philip Gosse's observation, and he thus had the opportu- 

 nity, in the course of the same voyage, of seeing two 

 cetaceans, closely allied, neither of which had, probably, 

 been observed alive by any existing zoologist. After 

 entering the West Indian seas, the flying-fishes became 

 abundant, and he had the opportunity of closely examining 

 their habits. He writes at last, under date of December 4, 

 as follows : — 



" My first sight of Jamaica was one that I can never 

 " forget. . . . During the forenoon the mountains of 

 "Jamaica were seen, and gradually grew more distinct 

 " as we neared the island. Yet the cloudiness of the day 

 '* prevented my having any satisfactory view of it until 

 '* evening. About sunset, I w^as standing forward, when 

 " one by my side said, ' Look at the Peak ! ' I looked 

 " intently, directing my gaze to the neighbourhood of the 

 " horizon, w^here I supposed it was to be seen ; but nothing 

 '' but the dull white clouds met my eye. ' Up there ! ' 

 " said my informant ; and his finger pointed up into the 

 ** sky ; and there indeed w^as its noble head (perhaps 

 "elevated by refraction), a conical mass, darkly blue, 

 " above the dense bed of clouds that hung around its 

 " sides, and enveloped all beneath its towering elevation. 

 " Yet it is situated far inland, and was then full forty 

 " miles distant from our ship. But night soon fell, and, 

 " as we were somewhat anxiously watching for the light 

 " on Point Morant, I had the pleasure of first seeing it 

 " from the main rif^crincr. We were soon abreast of it, and 



