260 NATUEAL HISTORY OF 



frequently twisted, and contracted rapidly while the animal 

 was alive. Some hours later, a few specimens of Idotea 

 annulata, an Isopod obtained on the previous year to the 

 north of Kio, were obtained ; but thereafter, a fresh breeze 

 springing up, we went on our way too rapidly to permit of 

 further use of the to wing-net at this time. 



The 7th was a beautiful bright day, with a fine rolling 

 blue sea, and we made good way, keeping up a pretty steady 

 average of about seven knots. Several specimens of Fnl- 

 marus glacialioides were seen, and about an hour after noon, 

 when we were about 150 miles off the nearest land, a bird 

 allied to a starling (Xanthornus fla'vus) was noticed flying 

 about the vessel. The sky some hours before sunset was 

 most beautiful — pale blue, sprinkled over with multitudes of 

 delicate cirri, across which a veil of cobweb-like lines of 

 cloud was drawn. The breeze continued fresh during the 

 night, and early on the morning of the 8th, but after that fell 

 considerably. Between nine and ten A.M., when, accord- 

 ing to our calculations, we were nearly opposite the Eio 

 Negro, a rather large Sphinx and several small moths flew 

 on board. A few hours later many more arrived, including 

 a large moth measuring about three inches across the wings, 

 as well as several specimens of a Sphinx with pink under- 

 wings, and bearing a considerable resemblance to Deilephila 

 Gain, but distinct from it, and new, I am informed, to the 

 British Museum collection. The latest visitor was a small 

 gray and brown warbler, which remained with us for some 

 hours feeding on the moths. The day, I may observe, at the 

 time of the arrival of these animals, was very dull and foggy, 

 and at noon drizzling rain set in, and continued till between 

 five and six p.m., the weather fairly clearing up before sunset, 

 about an hour later. The sun sank yellow beneath a great 



