The Days of a Man X^^o^ 



on the "iron-bound coasts" where the sea is too deep 

 for coral are all black to match the dark lava. 

 An agile AmoHg the last is a little jet-black blenny — Rupis- 

 bienny curtcs suHens — which climbs on the lonely rocks 

 above the reach of the waves with the agility of a 

 lizard; and the mailed sides of the wrecked Adler 

 just above high-water mark swarm with Rupiscartes, 

 which dart into the open hold as their natural refuge. 

 One of the most singular species of tropical shores 

 is the mud skippy — Euchoristopus barbarus — a 

 frisky goby five or six inches long, with strong muscles 

 at the basis of its fins, and movable pop-eyes set on 

 short stalks to take in whatever is going on. These 

 The extremely nimble creatures stay on shore after high 



^^^"''" tide, often climbing in bushes to catch insects, some- 

 skippy times crawling under stones to wait till the water 

 returns. In a little inlet near Pago Pago we found a 

 thicket of mangroves infested by skippies; at the 

 least disturbance they dropped to the water or the 

 ground, tumbling along with considerable speed. At 

 Pago a pointer dog belonging to one of the naval 

 officers was much excited over these animals creeping 

 uncannily about in the branches, and all day long he 

 would point and bark at them. 

 Flying Flying fish of many species abound among the 



coral islands, and however familiar with their ways, 

 one never ceased to wonder at their swift motion, fins 

 held firm like an aeroplane and only the force of the 

 strong, screw-like tail furnishing the impetus. ^ 



As the interested reader will already by now have 

 inferred, we found the Samoan fish-fauna exceedingly 

 rich, bringing home over 600 species, about 100 of 

 them new. In the preparation of my report (one of 



1 See Vol. I, Chapter ix, page 209. 



C 116 : 



fish 



