102 ANIMALS OF 



During our stay we were fortunate in having 

 fine weather, light winds, and low tides, which 

 enabled such as were incHned to look for shells upon 

 the reef to do so under the most favourable cir- 

 cumstances. This reef is of great extent, with all 

 the varieties of coral, mud, and sand, and proved a 

 most productive one. A sketch of the distribution 

 of the principal of its productions may be of interest 

 to some. Many kinds of fishes, Murcsna, Diodon, 

 Batistes, Serranus, &c. are found in the pools among 

 the coral blocks; the first of these, of bright 

 colours variously striped and spotted, resemble 

 water-snakes, and are exceedingly active, gliding 

 through the interstices in the coral and hiding in its 

 hollows, — they bite savagely at a stick presented to 

 them, and are by no means pleasant neighbours 

 while wading about knee-deep and with bare arms 

 turning over the coral which they frequent. On a 

 former occasion I had been laid hold of by the 

 thumb, and the wound w'ks a long time in healing. 

 Crustacea are also numerous; blue and green 

 Oonodactyli leap about with a sharp cHcking 

 noise — legions of 3£ycteris subverrucata traverse 

 the dry sands at low water— and in the shallow 

 muddy pools, dull green Thalamitce and Lupecs swim 

 off rapidly, and smooth Calappce seek refuge by 

 burrowing under the surface. 



Of moUusca, two species of olive (6?. erythrostoma 

 and 0. leucopJmd) were found on the sandy margin 

 of the islet — several Cerithia and SuhulcB (S, macu- 

 lata and ;S'. occulata) creep along the sand flats. 



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