107 
island near Bald Head; and on this account Vancouver called this 
island Seal Island. Land and sea birds were equally rare at King* 
George’s Sound, and were all so wary and wild that it was almost 
impossible to approach them; such wariness appeared to us to be 
the result of the continual hunting of the inhabitants. These birds 
belonged to the same species as those which have been previously 
mentioned in the course of this work. An exception to this state- 
ment is a teal 1 remarkable for a membranous appendage which 
it has under the beak, of which M. Lesueur managed, with much 
difficulty, to procure some individuals. 
“Of all the places where we stayed in New Holland, King 
George’s Sound is, after Sharks Bay, that which furnished us the 
greatest abundance of fish; the species were not very varied, but 
they were excessively numerous in individuals. Amongst others we 
caught a sort of Scomber, very similar to the Mackerels of Europe, 
but much smaller than the latter, which alone would have sufficed 
for the needs of a considerable fleet; other species belonged to the 
genera Sparus, Mugil, Scorpaena, Labrus, Ostracion, Squalus, 
Batistes, etc. A cartilaginous egg specially struck me owing to its 
extraordinary form; I shall give a figure and description of it 
elsewhere. The beautiful striped sea-horse is found on these coasts; 
we saw also Rays, Mursenas, Esox, etc.; in a word, on account of 
the fish and the resources which it offers, King George’s Sound ap- 
peared, at -the time when w*e were there, to be one of the most 
precious localities which navigators can frequent in these regions; 
one could, if necessary, lay in abundant provisions there. 
“Other less useful animals deserve however to be mentioned here. 
Of the order of Batrachians, I discovered a charming new species 
of the genus Hyla; it is the only Frog, except those of Port Jack- 
son, which I saw in New Holland, and the absence of animals of 
this family evidently depends on the scarcity of fresh water which 
is a necessity to them. Lizards provided me with three species, two 
of which were Skinks; and in the ‘anse de l’Aiguade,’ I myself 
killed a snake 182 cms. (6ft.) long, which, in M. Lacepede’s system, 
would form the type of a new genus, near to that of Boa; this 
terrible reptile is armed with venomous fangs. 
“Insects were few in number, and did not present any feature of 
interest. Of Crustaceans, I collected fifteen species previously un- 
known, amongst which was a Crayfish which lives in the lakes and 
brooks; it is the only species of freshwater crustacean which I saw 
in the whole extent of New Holland, the reason for which is evident. 
“True Molluscs, worms and soft zoophytes are here abundant 
and numerous in species; but in the double aspect of magnificence 
and of variety, the shells bear the palm before all the rest. In the 
short period of a few days I collected more than 160 species, of 
which the greater part were new to me. Especially one must men- 
1 Biziura lobata, Shaw. (Musk Duck). 
