20 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
On March 17 the Challenger anchored near Melbourne. The 
next point reached after Australia was New Zealand. After 
leaving Port Nicholson, on July 7, the ship proceeded along 
the eastern coast of New Zealand, and on the evening of the 
19th arrived at Tongatabu. On the 22nd the Challenger left, 
and on the 24th anchored off Matuku Island, in the Fiji group. 
Here a most valuable 6t take ” was made in the shape of a living 
specimen of the pearly nautilus ( Nautilus pompilius), which 
came up in the trawl from the depth of 300 fathoms, It was 
kept alive in a tub for some time, in order that its habits might 
be watched. According to Dr. Willemoes-Suhm it is very 
common in shallow water, and the natives capture it upon the 
reefs with baskets made up for the purpose. Like the turtle it 
is a dish, but so choice that the chiefs alone are allowed to in- 
dulge in it.* Among the remarkable pelagic animals captured 
was a naked petropod, in which the “ ptera,” or wings, were 
completely absent, their places being supplied by two large 
conical processes, each of whicl) carried a large black eye at 
the tip. It is probably the Pelagia alba , incompletely described 
by Quoy and Gfaimard. Near the Kermadek Isles the Pyroso- 
mata were so abundant that the sea resembled “a dark carpet 
covered with large luminous balloons.” 
On July 28 the Challenger arrived at Levuka, the capital of 
the Fiji Islands, having touched at Kandavu, and on August 
3 returned to the latter place, remaining there till the 
10th. In this region the impression was confirmed that 
“ while species differ in different localities, and different 
generic types are from time to time introduced, the general 
character of the fauna is everywhere very much the same.”f 
Api, one of the least known of the New Hebrides group, was 
the next halting-place, the Challenger arriving at the edge of 
the reef on August 18. The inhabitants — who were almost 
entirely naked, of forbidding countenance, and armed with 
clubs, spears, and poisoned arrows — were mistrustful, and did 
not encourage intercourse. Large ships scarcely ever touch 
here, and next to nothing in literature of this island is known. 
Empty beer bottles, it is said, are the favourite articles of 
barter with the natives. Eaine Island, which was reached on 
August 31, was the next place of halt. The ship had been 
accompanied by Mother Carey’s chickens ever since leaving Api, 
but a search for their nests on Raine Island was unsuccessful. 
This island has been well described by Jukes in his 66 Voj^age 
of H.M.S. Fly” A land crab ( Ocypoda ), like the Grapsus on 
* Letter to Professor Siebold, dated Cape .York, Sept. 1874. Ibid., Bd. 
xxv. 
t Wyville Thomson. u Nature,” vol. xi. 
