wn- for the want of others by the ftrength and melody of its
i -4^1—< notes, which fill the woods at dawn, in the evening, and at
the breaking up of bad weather.
The other land birds are rails, as large as a pigeon, of a
variegated grey colour, with a rufty neck ; a black fort with
■red eyes, not larger than a lark ; large violet-coloured coots/
with red bald crowns ; two forts of fly-catchers ; a very
fmall fwallow ; and three forts of pigeons, one of which is
le ramier cuivre of Monf. Sonnerat * ; another, half the fize
-of the common fort, of a light green on the back and wings,
with a red forehead ; and a third, fomewhat lefs, of a purple
brown, but whitifh underneath.
Of water-fowl, and fuch as frequent the fea, are the ducks
feen at Annamooka, though fcarce here; blue and white
herons; tropic birds; common noddies; white terns; anew
fpecies of a leaden colour, with a black creft ; a fmall blu-
ilh curlew; and a large plover, fpotted with yellow. Be-
fides the large bats, mentioned before, there is alfo the common
fort.
The only noxious or difguiling animals of the reptile or
infeift tribe, are fea fnakes, three feet long, with black
and white circles alternately, often found on fhore ; fome
fcorpions, and centipedes. There are fine green guanoes, a foot
and a half long ; another brown and fpotted lizard, about a
foot long; and two other fmall forts. Amongft the other in-
fecits are fome beautiful moths; butterflies; very large fpiders;
and others; making, in the whole, about fifty different forts.
The fea abounds with fifli, though the variety is lefs than
niight be expefted. The moft frequent forts are mullets ;
* Voyage cr-ïa Nouvelle Guinée, Tab, CII.
feveral
feveral forts o f parrot-fifh; Clver fifh; old wives; fome beautifully
fpotted foies; leather-jackets; bonnetos ; and albi-
cores; befides the eels mentioned at Palmerfton’s Ifland;
fome fharks ; rays ; pipe-fifh ; a fort of pike ; and fome
curious devil-fifh.
The many reefs and fhoals on the North fide of the ifland,.
afford fhelter for an endlefs variety o f fhell-fifh ; amongft
which are many that are efteemed precious in Europe. Such
as the true hammer oyfter ; of which, however, none could
be obtained entire; a large indentated oyfter, and feveral
others; but none of the common fort; panamas;; cones; a-
fort of gigantic cockle, found alfo in the Eaft Indies; pearl
ihell oyfters; and many others ; feveral of which, 1 believe,,
have been hitherto unknown to the moft diligent inquirers -
after that branch of natural hiftory. There are, likewife,.
feveral forts of fea-eggs ;., and many very fine ftar-fifh;, befides
a confiderable variety of corals ; amongft which are
two red forts ; the one moft elegantly branched, the other -
tubulous. And there is no lefs variety amongft the crabs-
and cray fifh, which are very numerous. To which may be
added, feveral forts of fponge;,the fea hare, holotburU, andi
the like.” »