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
November 19. Latitude 25 degrees 50 minutes south; longitude 106 degrees
22 minutes east.
Birds first re-appeared again. I saw a large flock of two kinds, but was
not near enough to ascertain what they were. I have before noted the fact
that almost at the exact point where the southern birds of the family
Longipennes disappeared those sea-jellies (acalepha) which have the power
of stinging, began to show themselves; previously to our passing this
point I had not seen one: I saw several however today at no great
distance from this flock of birds.
We saw float by this afternoon one of the acalepha, apparently about two
feet long and shaped generally like a water snake; its tail had fins like
that of an eel, of a purplish tinge; I could distinctly see its head and
various vessels in its interior for it was quite transparent. We had no
net ready but threw a stick with a piece of string attached to it, the
string passed under it but in pulling up cut through it as though it had
been jelly.
Caught an animal (Cymothoa) shaped exactly like a woodlouse:
Length 0.4 inches.
Length of antennae 0.15 inches.
Breadth of body 0.12 inches.
It had six legs, and a tail-like fin behind on each side, and nine rings
on its back so that it could roll itself almost into a ball, these rings
extended no farther than from its head to within 0.12 inches of its
hinder extremity; colour very pale blue down the back, bright prussian
blue on each side; it crawled about when taken out of the water, and
lived for some time; its fins, or fin-like legs, when it thus crawled
about, were folded under its tail; eyes distinct.
MOLLUSCA.
November 20. Latitude 25 degrees 14 minutes south; longitude 106 degrees
49 minutes east.
A shell, Janthina exigua, was caught this evening, 8 hours 30 minutes
P.M.; when brought directly out of the water into a room the temperature
of the animal was 80 degrees 5'; of room 76 degrees; colour, dark violet
purple over half the opening and lower part of the shell, so that it
gives the animal the appearance of having been upon a purple-coloured
place; this colour then dies gradually away, and in the smallest whorl of
the shell becomes almost white. They had the power of emitting drops of a
violet colour, and when put into spirits a great quantity of this issued
from the mouth of the shells. We had one evening before caught a pair of
shells of the same species, but much smaller, at exactly the same hour;
in both instances each pair were caught at the same haul of the net.
November 23. Latitude 21 degrees 43 minutes south; longitude 109 degrees
43 east. 8 1/2 P.M.
FLYING FISH.
A flying-fish (Exocetus) flew on board. Its temperature was 74 degrees.
The colour of its iris was black.
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