ON BOASB n.M.S. 'FLYING FISH' 35 



In many respects the most interesting part of the 

 expedition was the walk across the great sandy flat of 

 'Flying Fish' Bay. It was composed of a mixtm-e of 

 coral detritus and a black stinking mud. Eunning across 

 it were a number of shallow streamlets draining the water 

 from the lagoon. "Where the sand was dry a few Calappa 

 crabs, a few starfishes and gelatiacus hydroids, were the 

 only representatives of the animal kingdom; but iu the 

 channels of running water there were some large pale 

 green or yellow lumps of the Fponge-hke Alcyonarian 

 Sarcophytum, a few corals, and here and there a large 

 Fungia, while above our heads a huge fish-eagle {Halimtus 

 leucogaster) circled around. In one of the httle channels 

 Hooper shot a good-sized conger, probably Bleeker's Conger 

 anagoides. 



On the opposite side of the bay we came across a 

 magnificent natm-al arch in the rocks, and under it lay 

 a httle pool of beautifully clear water in which I caught 

 a pair of brilliantly coloured prawns {Stenopus hispidus). 

 The broad bands of bright red across the cephalothorax and 

 abdomen, the remarkably long striped antennse, and the tiny 

 little thorns with which the whole body is beset, give these 

 animals a most gaudy and grotesque appearance. Like 

 many of the brUhantly coloured fishes of the coral reefs, 

 when removed from their proper environment they seem as 

 if they were specially attired to be seen; but in reahty 

 their colours are their protection, because they make them 

 inconspicuous. Amongst a crowd of wedding guests it is 

 the unfortunate man without a wedding garment who is 

 conspicuous ; and so amongst the gay colours and strange 

 forms of the coral reef, the sombre-coloured fish or prawn 

 would be most readily observed and fall a prey to its 

 enemies. 



When we returned to the whaler, which lay off Butterfly 



D 2 



