1875. ] REV. S.J. WHITMEE ON PALOLA VIRIDIS. 497 
1862. Nov. 14th (day of moon’s quartering). Plentiful. 
» Nov. 15th. Plentiful. 
No observations were made in 1863. 
1864. Oct. 22nd. None. 
»» Oct. 23rd (day of moon’s quartering). Palolo obtained, 
but quantity unknown. 
» Oct. 24th. None. 
» Nov. 2lst. Very few obtained. 
» Nov. 22nd. None. 
1865. Oct. 12th (day of moon’s quartering). Abundant. 
», Oct. 13th. Plentiful. 
No observations made in November. 
1866. Oct. 31st (day of moon’s quartering). A few appeared. 
» Nov. Ist. Plentiful. 
No other observation made this year. 
1867. Oct. 21st (day of moon’s quartering). Very abundant. 
» Oct. 22nd. None appeared, 
1868. Oct. 8th. Plentiful. 
» Oct. 9th (day of moon’s quartering). Plentiful. 
» Nov. 8th (day of moon’s quartering). Abundant. 
» Nov. 9th. None appeared. 
The Palolo is not found at any place within several miles of my 
residence ; and I had no opportunity of visiting a place where it 
appears until 1872. The moon quartered that year on the 24th 
October ; and on that day the Palolo were expected ; but I was at the 
place on the evening of the 22nd. Two hours before sunrise on 
October 23rd I went with some natives in 4 canoe to a part of the 
reef where they are usually found; but we only obtained a single 
specimen. During the day I had some blocks of both living and 
dead coral taken on shore from a spot where the natives said Palolo 
appeared. These I carefully broke up to search for the worm. As 
I was breaking one block of dead coral I found a single living Palolo 
in one of its interstices. This was the only one I found, although 
I broke several blocks. Before daylight on the morning of the 24th I 
went out again. About a hundred canoes with natives were already on 
the spot, and the Palolo were beginning to appear. Putting my hand 
into the water as my canoe was paddled along, every now and again 
one of the little creatures passed between my fingers or twined itself 
about them. Half an hour after reaching the place, they had become 
so abundant that I could take them up by the handful. 
The first point to which I gave my attention was the places where 
they appeared. I found them thickest in certain spots just on the 
edge of the reef, and especially in an opening where there was a depth 
of water of about two fathoms. They were scattered over a consider- 
able surface of the smooth water inside the reef, but only in small 
quantities, and the number decreased the further I went from the edge 
of the reef. Over the spot whence I had taken coral blocks for exami- 
nation on the previous day they were very sparsely distributed. 
The next thing I-observed was their mode of progression through 
Proc. Zoou. Soc.—1875, No. XXXII. 32 
