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DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPEDITION. 143 
both devoted to the lagoon and reefs, but did not attempt to collect over them. Fletcher 
and Dr. Simpson were indefatigable in collecting the land-animals and plants, and we 
ourselves also secured a large number of specimens. Every night while at anchor near 
the passage we put out plankton-nets each hour. The spring-tides were then running, 
a fact which makes these collections especially valuable as indicating to some degree 
the extent to which mud in suspension is carried out of the lagoon. The atoll was 
partially planted about 20 years ago by Capt. Spurs, but recently the whole has been 
bought by Mr. Souchon of Mauritius, whose manager, Mr. Rey, received us most 
cordially and gave us every facility at his disposal. South Island was still untouched, 
Fig. 37. 
View looking east from top of dune on South Island, Farquhar. 
Observe reef-flat, sand-shore with clumps of Pemphis and Scevola in foreground. 
so that its flora should, perhaps, be more particularly considered later on. The coral- 
formations in view of Aldabra, Cosmoledo, Assumption, and Astove, which lie to the 
west on about the same line of latitude, will likewise receive a more special description. 
The general character of Farquhar may best be seen by reference to the chart (fig. 36). 
Its special feature as compared with other atoll-banks was the peculiarly restricted and 
shallow nature of its lagoon. Indeed, it only consists of pools of water varying up to 
8 or 9 fathoms in depth with bare sandy bottoms, having here and there isolated masses 
or shoals of coral-formation. The greater part reaches the low-tide level and is covered 
with sand, having the same grass-like weed (Cymodocea) found at Coetivy. This part is 
joined to the northern reef-edge (which is quite similar to that off other coral-reefs) by 
an area of great heads of Heliopora, with crevices of 1 to 3 fathoms deep, the whole 
SECOND SERIES.—-ZOOLOGY, VOL. XII. 21 
