582 - Dr. R. von Willemoes-Suhm on Observations 



which had undermined the whole of the place with large holes. In the 

 evening one of them, a Cardisoma, was caught by the seeking party, and 

 on closer inspection was found to have eggs and young ones just come 

 out of them under its abdomen. This was of considerable interest, 

 because we knew that the West-Indian Gecarcinus undergoes no meta- 

 morphosis, but that another species was said to do so by V. Thompson, 

 who had seen dead Zoeas in its eggs. This Zoea, however, had not been 

 drawn (as far as could be made out), and the whole thing had been 

 doubted, according to statements given by Fritz Midler. "We were there- 

 fore very much satisfied not only by ascertaining that the young ones also 

 of this species were Zoeas, but by being able to make an accurate sketch of 

 those which had already left the egg. No doubt these would ha\ e left 

 the mother on her nocturnal excursions to the sea, and undergone there 

 the ordinary metamorphoses. 



On the 28th of August we landed on the rocks of St. Paul, where 

 nobody is known to have made collections since Darwin's well-known 

 visit to the place. On the barren rocks there are hardly any insects to be 

 found, and nearly all there is of animal life is more or less dependent on 

 the bodies or nests of the two birds which cover these rocks, Anous sto- 

 lidus and Sulci fusca. These nests were carefully searched not only in 

 the island, but also afterwards in the laboratory, where I had taken a 

 box full of them in order to secure as many specimens of the insects as 

 possible. The following animals were thus procured : — (1) a Chelifer, 

 several specimens from, the nest of Anous stolidus (the best places to find 

 our European Chelifer are the nests of Hirundo urbica) ; (2) three spe- 

 cies of spiders ; (3) a tick, very common ; (4) a small dipter ; (5) pupae 

 of Olfersia, the pupiparous parasitical fly ; (6) a microlepiclopter ; (7) a 

 lepidopterous larva. 



Darwin does not mention the Chelifer in his list, but has, on the other 

 hand, a Quedius (beetle) and "a wood-louse, which I have not been able to 

 find. 



All over the island a large Grapsus is very common, preying on the 

 eggs and young ones of the birds. In pools large black Actinice may be 

 seen, and many small fish which come and go by high water. In the 

 lobster-pots we got several small specimens of a Pcdinurus. 



On the main island of Fernando Noronha we only took a short walk, 

 as we then thought, in order to look over the place and see where collect- 

 ing might be most profitably done, but, as it proved afterwards, never, to 

 return. Large quantities of pigeons were seen in the woods, lizards in 

 quantities everywhere (Euprepes punctatus), and under the stones a small 

 Gryllus was to be seen by thousands. Besides these I only noticed a 

 centipede. 



On the second day we paid, with Captain Nares, a visit to Mount St. 

 Micbael, Eat Island, and Platform Island. The rather steep rocks of 

 the former are the resting- and breeding-places of Anous stolidus, Sula 



