52 
CmilOSITIES OF NATURE. 
soil in every direction. It was now calm, as well 
as hot, and the still water under the dark shadow 
of the overhanging trees abounded with long- 
spilled purple sea-eggs, glancing here and there 
among which were black and yellow chsetodons, 
fishes of a strikingly handsome appearance, on 
account of the contrast of colour which they pre- 
sent. Jumping from stone to stone like so many 
tiny seals, were numbers of jieriophthalmi, fish as 
singular in form as the chsetodons are vivid in 
colour. Sea-slugs, or holothurim, were lyiug quies- 
cent in the shallow pools, or “ chugging their slow 
lengths along ” the coral debris ; some crabs, with 
bright scarlet eyes, were detected hiding beneath 
the madrepores; and starfish, with slender snake- 
like rays, were observed wriggling their way among 
the dead ’shells and seaweed. Such were some of 
the curiosities of nature which struck me as worthy 
of observation during my sojourn on this tropical 
Ijarrier-reef. 
On penetrating the jungle, I could not but 
admire the great gutta-percha trees fimily anchored 
