Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 1Grey, George
History
Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 1
Grey, George
Natural history -- Australia -- Western Australia; Western Australia -- Discovery and exploration
Since we have passed the 95th parallel of longitude, and 32nd of latitude
up to the present moment we have been out of the region of birds, for
during the whole of this period I have seen but two, one of which, a
Petrel, has this moment visited us. We have however seen more
Sea-jellies, Acalepha and Mollusca than before, and those of a much more
beautiful kind. Thus nature has made up for the deficiency of one tribe
of animals by the profuseness with which she has distributed another.
November 18. Latitude 26 degrees 57 minutes south; longitude 105 degrees
22 minutes east.
We caught a crustaceous animal (Phyllosoma, see Illustration 11) which
was perfectly transparent; it was furnished with twelve legs on what I
considered the hinder part of its body, and four antennae in front, which
have their tips of a bright pink colour, and two eye peduncles by their
side, which terminate in little bags containing some blue matter (their
eyes). It was furnished also with two legs underneath. These are just
shown in the figure near the centre of the body, and between those
underneath the insect there was a slight projection, with two little
lumps on each side. In this projecting part there appeared to be an
opening. When it was taken out of the water it stood upright on its legs
and crawled a little like a large beetle, but soon died. In the water it
swam with the legs, and the last joint appeared to be feathered. It will
be seen that there is a great irregularity in the position of the legs of
this insect. The specimen appeared to me to be in some respects
imperfect; but I figured it exactly as it was, without blindly guessing
at its perfect state. It was not thicker than the thinnest wafer. The
back was marked with curved lines, exactly in the manner I have
represented. It shrank instantly when touched. The two last joints of the
long legs were furnished with thorn-like spikes.
Length of tail 0.37 inches.
of the body 0.2 inches.
of the thorax and head 0.3 inches.
of the entire animal 1.4 inches.
Breadth of body 0.62 inches.
Ditto of thorax 0.51 inches.
Length of third leg 1.9 inches.
Length of second leg 1.7 inches.
Length of hindermost leg 0.6 inches.
Length of eyes, peduncles 0.4 inches.
We caught a second animal of exactly the same size as the one figured,
but apparently much more perfect. Each of its tentacula terminates in a
small feathering tip when it is in the water, like the little figures at
the side, and by the help of which they swim; these have a horny feel to
the touch, are destitute of smell, and look like a transparent scale when
they lie in your hand.
We also caught this day some little transparent shells (Cuvieria) of a
cylindrical form, and blunt at the end; they put out two little fins with
which they swam.
I was unfortunately too unwell this day to describe all the other
specimens we caught, which were numerous. The sea was full of small
acalepha, and in the midst of a shoal of these a whale was seen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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