22 



LOKD HOWE ISLAND. 



pastoral purposes, and has, in the meantime, been wisely declared by Govern- 

 ment a botanical reserve. It is, however, most favourably situated for a fishing 

 station, within easy reach of Port Jackson by fast steam packets. Even a 

 ketch covers the distance, with a favourable wind, in three days — the 

 surrounding seas teeming with fish — the Lagoon forming a safe anchorage 

 for small craft in almost any wind — and the entrances capable of great im- 

 provement, so that small draft supply steamers could also be admitted, except 

 in the foulest weather — and finally, excellent sites for the accommodation of 

 a fishing population. Everything tends to indicate that the future of Lord 

 Howe Island is interwoven with the c[uestion of the fish supply of K'ew 

 South Wales. 



Polyeoa. — Beyond the fact that few species were obtained, little caji be 

 said of the Polyzoa. In all probability had our arrangements for dredging 

 been better our success would have been greater, The following arc the 

 species obtained, as determined by Mr. Whitelegge: — 



Schizoporella hyaliua, Linn. 



,, tuberosa, Seitss. 



Aetca recta, Ilinclcs. 

 Scruparia chelata, Linn. 

 Menipea cervicornis, M''Gillivray. 

 Bugula neritina, Linn, (with avicularia). 

 Catenicella elegans. Bush. 



,, venusta, 3I'Gillivrai/. 



Discoporella nova-zelandia-. 

 Idmonca, sp. 



,, radians, Mihie JEdw. 

 Steganoporella, sp. 

 Lepralia, sp. 

 Mcmbranipora, sp. 



Mollusca. — The distribution of moUuscan life at Lord Howe Island may 

 be considered under four aspects, that of the Coral-reef, that of the Lagoon 

 within it, that of the shore generally, irrespective of the former, betw^een 

 high and low-watermarks, and the deep water shells. In fact, it may be said 

 that these remarks apply generally to the whole marine fauna. As pre- 

 viously stated, we were able to study the Coral reef and its objects only at 

 its extreme northern and southern ends, where, however, it was found to be 

 very rich in life. The Lagoon, on the other hand, proved very barren, much 

 to our surprise, but it is possible that our dredging operations might have 

 yielded better results could we have had the assistance of steam-power. The 

 general sameness of marine life cast upon its sandy beach would support the 

 opinion that it is not prolific in objects of interest. The shore fauna differs 

 essentially from that of the Coral-reef, chiefly in its simplicity, and the super- 

 abundance of a few special forms. Of the deep water fauna we are practi- 

 cally ignorant, the state of the weather during the greater portion of our 

 residence there and the want of adequate apparatus quite putting a stop to 

 any possible investigations. Mr. John Brazier has named the whole of the 

 Mollusca. 



It may be naturally inferred that our gatherings in the Cephalopoda, the 

 highest group of the Mollusca, were of a very limited nature. In fact, we 

 obtained three representatives of the Decapoda, Spirula Peroni, Lamk., 

 Onychoteuthis Banksi, Leach, and Sepia latimanus, Q. & G-. The posthorn- 

 like shells of the former cover some parts of the Lagoon beach in hundreds, 

 and at those spots it is impossible to walk without crushing numbers of this 



