136 EAMBLES OF A NATUEALIST. [Oh. IX. 



afterwards on the shores of Labuan. The second species 

 was also a Doris, twice the size of the last, bright yellow 

 bordered with mauve. The third was a Doridopsis, nearly 

 two inches in length, of a rich velvety brown, with capacious 

 branchial leaves upon the back ; and the fourth was a small 

 and elegant species, probably of Plocamophorus, but, like 

 the other three, undescribed. 



A very beautiful seaweed, a species of Valonia, grew in 

 the rock-pools of this island. It was small in size, and, seen 

 beneath the water, had a most splendid glossy green appear- 

 ance, which might with truth be described as luminous, 

 strongly calling to mind the extraordinary moss, Schisto- 

 stegia, which is found in the caves of North Lancashire. 

 This moss when brought out of the cave loses its brilliant 

 appearance, and similarly the Slut Island seaweed entirely 

 lost its peculiar golden aspect when taken out of the water. 



Among other animals which I brought from the shore was 

 a small shrimp, a new species of the genus Alpheus, of a 

 deep violet colour, and with a claw of very remarkable con- 

 struction. I placed it in a basin of water with a small crab, 

 whose presence appeared violently to offend it. Whenever 

 the crab came in contact with the shrimp, the latter produced 

 a loud sound, as though some one had given the basin 

 a sharp tap with the finger-nail. During the night we were 

 frequently startled by this soimd, the explanation of which 

 was as follows. The shrimp possessed two chelse or claws — 

 one, the right, a large and stout one, and the left one long 

 and slender. When irritated it opened the pincers of the 

 large claw very wide, and then suddenly closed them with a 

 startling jerk. When the claw was in contact with the 

 bottom of the basin, a sound was produced as though the 

 basin were smartly struck ; but when the claw was elevated 



