DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPEDITION. 159 
memory of man. We saw the manager of Bird, and subsequently people who knew 
both islands well. Their descriptions showed that they were mainly of sand-formation 
with resemblances to Eagle and African Islands. We visited neither, as time was 
peculiarly valuable, owing to our work in the main islands, and as we did not get any 
indications which led us to believe that we could settle whether their mode of formation 
was by upheaval, or by piling-up of sand on coral-shoals, or by other means. It is 
particularly interesting to note that not only are they the only islands on the rim of the 
bank, but that their reefs are the only ones on the rim which reach the surface. 
Leaving Bird we had a long day’s dredging round its west and south sides, ending up 
by a series of hauls on the edge of the bank between it and Dennis. These showed a 
rough area, rich in corals, at 20-30 fathoms to the west of Bird, while to the south 
there was coral and algal rubble, tailing into hard sand with plenty of dead Cycloseris 
and living Heteropsammia, the latter each with an associated Aspidosiphon in its base. 
In the passage towards Dennis at 34 to 44 fathoms we found a similar bottom of hard 
sand, but with more weed, and in places small lumps of Lithothamnia and dead coral 
incrusted with Squamariaceze. In five consecutive hauls we obtained as great a variety 
of life as in any other five dredgings of the cruise. Attached animals were represented 
by Polyzoa, Sponges, Gorgonians, Antipatharians, and Tunicates, while among free- 
livers may be noticed Crinoids, Asteroids, and Echini, molluscs of many sorts, including 
several Nudibranchs, and vast numbers of Crustacea. Turbellaria alone were absent, as, 
indeed, they were from practically all the dredgings. A holothurian was brought up 
with a Mierasfer and kept for some hours in a bucket, the little fish as it darted in and 
out of the cloaca of the holothurian being an interesting sight to all. The only corals 
obtained were the solitary Flabellum and Heteropsammia. Taken together the dredgings 
must be held to indicate the absence of any well-defined edge to the bank between Bird 
and Dennis, while the hard nature of the bottom shows the existence of not inconsiderable 
currents between the two islands. 
On arrival at Port Victoria, Mahé, on October 20th, we at once commenced to prepare 
for our work on the lands and reefs of the Seychelles. Our first four days, however, 
were occupied in seeing after the collections made since leaving Coetivy, which were 
very considerable, and in checking charts and in discussing various points with 
Capt. Somerville and the officers of the Sealark. We also bade good-bye with great 
regret to our messmates of the last six months, whose kindness had been unvarying. 
His Excellency the Governor, W. E. Davidson, Esq., C.M.G., offered us hospitality and 
placed a part of his house at our disposal, while Mr. H. A. Pare, of Messrs. Beatty, 
Bergne, & Co., Engineers, procured us servants and collecting-“ boys,” and assisted us in 
many ways. Mr. R. Dupont, the vigorous Director of the Botanic and Economic 
Stations of the Group, advised us generally, showing us carefully the indigenous and 
introduced plants on several short excursions. Our first acquaintance with the 
indigenous jungle was with Fletcher over Morne Seychellois, the highest peak in the 
group, 2993 feet, on which we got lost for several hours. We then had two days also 
with Fletcher on the islets and reefs off Port Victoria, 7. e. Cerf, Long, Mayenne, and 
St. Anne. On October 29th we took advantage of the Governor’s visit to transfer our 
SECOND SERIES.—ZOOLOGY, VOL. XII. 23 
