the bottom. Life did not seem very ahundant, but a
handsome Cidaris, a species of Antedon, some crustaceans
of ordinary shallow-water types, and some
.d&
s
tine Gorgonice were brought up. On going over the
collections from the rock, Ave found them to consist of
a minute moth, tAvo very small dipterous insects, a
tick parasitical on the birds, a species of CheVtfer, and
three spiders. All these species bad been observed
jAreviously by Mr. DarM'in, AA'ith the exception of the
Chelifer, and in addition a Avood-louse and a beetle,
neither of Avliich Ave detected. All tbe insects and
Araclmida Avere found in the old nests of the tern,
many of Avhich Avere brought on hoard and carefully
examined.
There is not a trace of a land-plant.on this island —
not even a lichen. In the line within the Avash of the
surf there is a bright-pink band of an encrusting
nullipore, AA'hich here and there becomes Avbite, and
greatly resembles a coral; and the same belt produces
the conferva of Avbicb the terns’ nests are built, and
one or tAvo red algse. All tbe crannies in the rock
are inhabited by Grapsus strigosus, an amj)liibious
crab, which we had already met Avith on several of
the Atlantic islands. Its habits amused us greatly.
It Avas much more wary than the birds—it Avas by no
means easy to catch them, hut they kept close round
the luncheon baskets in large parties, raised up on the
tips of their toes and AA'ith their eyes cocked up in an
attitude of the keenest observation, and whenever a
morsel came Avithin their reach there AAvas instantly a
struggle for it among the foremost of them, and they
ambled aAvay Avith their prize Avonderfully quickly
with their singular sidelong gait, and a look of human
smartness about them Avliich has a kind of Aveirdness
from its heing exhibited through a set of organs totally
ditlhrent in aspect from those to Avbicli Ave usually
look for manifestations of intelliiience.
The lobster-pots Avere dovn during tbe night, hut
they yielded little except a small species of FaHnitrus.