166 ` NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 
Again, certain species are abundant at some particular group, and 
gradually become more and more rare as we recede from their 
metropolis, or specific centres. 
Each group of islands has distinct species of land shells, and, 
in fact, every island in a group possesses its peculiar species. For 
small species of land shells, Stenogyra juncea and Vertigo pedicu- 
lus range over the South Sea Islands, and are the only exceptions 
to the rule. What is most surprising, in most cases, is that we 
find the species confined to particular valleys, or certain parts of 
the islands. The small islands are generally richer in species than 
the larger ones. Succinez, so abundant at the eastern groups, 
do not occur at the Viti Islands, while the latter possess many 
species of large Bulimi, belonging to the section Charis and Pla- 
costylus, which are not found at the former islands. Another 
marked feature in the Viti land shells is the large ground species 
of Navini. Its mangrove swamps swarm with many species of 
Auriculidee, and the rivers abound in large Butisse. 
Fresh water shells are more widely diffused than land shells. 
Three of the Tahiti Neritine (Tahitensis, dilatula, and sp?) occur 
at Samoa, but not at the intermediate groups. Several species of 
the Samoa (Navigator Isles) Neritina, Navicella, and Melania are 
common at the Viti group. The fresh water shells of the Sand- | 
wich Islands are all peculiar. 
The Viti Islands are extraordinarily rich in Mitride and Pleu- 
rotomide. Of the former I found one hundred and thirty, and of 
the latter one hundred species. 
Most of the Viti fish, crustaceans and echinoderms, are identical 
with Tahiti species, though many new species were obtained. Na- 
ture has been rather chary of her entomological gifts to her east- 
ern groups; but in the Vitis it is quite the reverse. I found aà 
great variety of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, some of the latter of ‘ 
great size and beauty. Macrotoma heros, a beetle, attains a 
length of four and a half inches, and a large Dorcus abounds. 
The larvee of both species are considered a delicacy by the natives 
and relished by some of the foreigners. 
At the Vitis I found many new species of reptiles, and, for the 
first time, met with frogs and land snakes. One lizard, Brach 
phus fasciatus, attains a length of three feet. Every species of 
reptile is eaten by the natives. | 
While I was in the group, the natives killed the Rev. Mr. Baker 2 
