90 
To return to Peron’s narrative, we are told that on June 16th, 
in lat. 32deg. 42min. 57sec. S v “M. Mange and 1 profited by a 
moment of calm weather to make another haul of the dredge along 
this coast. This attempt procured us new treasures, notably a 
species of sponge remarkable for its clear purple colour; a liquid 
of the same shade could be squeezed from it by a slight pressure, 
and this liquid, spread on different substances, resisted the action of 
the air perfectly, and even that of several alkalies.” 
On June 27th they were off Bernier Island. “On every side 
we were surrounded by great shoals of Salpa, Doris, Medusae, Beroes 
and Porpitas, genera of molluscs and zoophytes The pro- 
digious numbers of these animals, their changing and curious shapes, 
their delicate colours, the elegance of their movements, and the 
agility of their evolutions, formed an agreeable spectacle for all 
our companions; and for my friend Lesueur, my colleague Mauge 
and myself, such an abundance was a great subject of pleasure and 
enthusiasm. 
In the midst of these innocent and graceful legions appeared 
large numbers of dangerous reptiles which, gliding easily over the 
surface of the waves, appeared to be hunting a troop of little 
clupeas which lied precipitately towards the high seas. 
These marine snakes, of which we shall often have to speak 
later, have been so badly observed by naturalists up to the present 
time that 1 think I must enter here into some detail as to their 
structure. All these marine animals differ from terrestrial reptiles 
by their flattened tail, which has the form of a small oar, and by 
their body compressed like that of an eel and almost angular below. 
They are of very various and sometimes very brilliant colours. Some 
have the body of a uniform tint, either grey or yellow or green or 
bluish; others are ringed with blue, white, red, green, black, etc.; 
some are marked with large more or less regular spots; others only 
have minute spots, elegantly distributed all over the surface of their 
body. One of (he species is especially remarkable for the colour of 
its head, which is red with purple reflections: it is the ‘sea-snake 
with a red head* of Dumpier, who recognised it first in this locality. 
Like terrestrial reptiles, some are quite harmless, others are armed 
with venomous fangs. As to size, we found them from a length of 
30-40cms. (12-16ins.) up to 3 or even 4 metres (9-12ft.). 
“Their habitat is not confined to the sea-shore; we observed 
several at a distance of 300 or 400 miles from all land; and what 
is more extraordinary we never saw any on the continent or the 
islands. From this observation, I doubtless cannot conclude that 
they do not inhabit the land ; but yet we never encountered them 
there; and in connection with animals so singular and so little 
known, the impartial observer should not omit any important fact, 
even though he cannot give any explanation of it. 
Marine serpents breed exclusively in the warmest seas of the 
globe, especially in the Indian Ocean, in the Persian Gulf, in the 
