— 109 — 
the P. reniforme Fab. but if the drawings I have seen of the 
latter are correct, then these I procured are of a different 
species or a very strongly marked variety for there are no- 
table differences in the palpi and legs. This genus is easily 
known by the excessive tenuity of the multiarticulate fore 
legs, which apparently serve the purposes of antennoe rather 
than of locomotion. Like all the Pedipalpi, the maxillary 
palpi resemble legs, are very stout and long, and terminate in 
a formidable group of claws. The mandibles are very short 
and sharp ; and the legs have a double serration on the outer 
side to the second articulation where is a sharp spine, and they 
terminate in a double claw. Armed thus at all points, and 
carnivorous, they must be most terrible enemies to the insects 
they feed on. I have some females 14 lines long, but the 
males rarely exceed nine. The fore legs of the former mea- 
sure over 5 inches. The latter have brown and yellow striae 
on the legs whilst the female is of a uniform dark brown ex- 
cept the palpi that are nearly black. This genus exists I 
believe only in Seychelles, Brazil nnd Lower California. 
I captured several scorpions from 8 to 9 inches long, but 
the men did not seem afraid of them as they were of the 
spiders. One small one not more than an inch and a half 
long of a different species seems to be the only one dreaded, 
the bite of it causing violent inflammation. I was only able 
to procure one specimen of it. Several snakes were brought 
to me alive, said to be harmless. Some of a bright yellow and 
olive colour, others ash colour with dirty white spo^s, and 
they were said to be different species, but on examining them 
before and after death, I concluded them to be only varieties 
of the same species, the differences caused probably by various 
food and ages. They call them harmless, simply because they 
don’t attempt to bite unless attacked, but if they do bite, it is 
never with ut danger more or less. 
“ On almost all the coco nut trees is found a large Gecko 
of a yellowish brown colour, somewhat repulsive looking. 
Strange to say it is only found on this island and at Curieuse. 
I now first saw the beautiful bird the Pie Chanteuse, Copsychus 
Ssehellarum first brought to the notice of the scientific world 
