110 A NATUBALIST IN CELEBES ch. vi 



of the crinoids, I may be allowed to digress, to say a few 

 words about the crinoids of the reefs. 



It was my impression at the time — an erroneous one, 

 as it happens — that the feather-stars were never found 

 between the tide marks. Great was my surprise, then, when 

 I found one day as I was wading on the reefs a number of 

 bright green crinoids crawling on a fan-shaped madrepo- 

 rian coral, in water that was certainly not more than two 

 or three feet deep. A stUl more astonishing thing to me 

 was a feather-star, lively and happy apparently, climbing 

 on a pUe of Talisse Pier a couple of feet above the level of 

 the water. I think I am right in saying that this is the 

 first recorded instance of a crinoid living a semi-amphibious 

 existence like a star-fish or a sea-cucumber. 



The green colour of the reef crinoid is soluble in alcohol 

 like pentacrinin and antedonin, and it would be interestiag 

 to know what spectrum it gives. Unfortunately, the bottle 

 containing a sample of this brilliant green colouring-matter 

 got broken on the way home, and I must consequently leave 

 the problem to others who may be fortunate enough to find 

 this feather-star on the coral reefs of Malayia. 



The sea-bottom varies in character very considerably iu 

 different parts of Talisse Sea. I was fortunately able on 

 board the ' Flying Fish ' to make a large number of obser- 

 vations as to its character by examining the grease-patch 

 put upon the bottom of the sounding-lead. For a distance 

 of some three or four cables from the edge of the reef, the 

 bottom is mostly composed of broken bits of coral, with a 

 few living ones, sponges, alcyonarians, and the like. Further 

 out the bottom is composed of a coarse sand or shingle of 

 broken coral and shells ; in still deeper water in the straits 

 the sand is much finer, and contains a considerable number 

 of foraminifera shells, and a few black grains, probably, of 

 augite. From a few soundings we made in water ranging 



