Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2Grey, George
History
Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2
Grey, George
Natural history -- Australia -- Western Australia; Western Australia -- Discovery and exploration
Caught various kinds of crabs, some minute shells, and a small curious
insect, quite new to me, of a bright blue colour; the shrimps appear to
be very fond of these insects, seizing them the instant they are put into
the glass with them. We caught shrimps of all colours and sizes, many of
them very beautiful; some were of a pale gold colour with bright blue
spots; others with different shades of brown, and blue, white, or red
spots. They all turned a dark red on being put into spirits. The smaller
kinds had a round ball or excrescence on one side just below the head. I
observed today that the eel-fish carries its eggs in a bag under the
belly; the eggs were of a bright red colour. Two barnacles were caught;
also a new and very remarkable fish.
August 28.
Caught today two of the fish of the same kind as the one taken on the
25th. It had a dorsal fin with 14 spines; a ventral fin; a tail, 16
spines; and in addition to these it had four pectoral fins resembling the
claws of a frog, which it used much in the same manner that a lizard uses
its claws. The upper pair of these were divided into two joints, the
lower one of which was a perfect hand, terminating in ten claws, with
which it could seize hold of any object, or expand and use it as a broad
paddle, or fin. At the point where these arms are inserted into the body
and immediately behind them are placed two tubes, one behind each arm.
These form its gills, through which it expels the water taken in at its
mouth; the lower pair of arms have only one apparent joint, and each of
these hands are furnished with five claws; it has two protuberances which
look like horns, one projects immediately between the eyes, and the other
is situated between this and the dorsal fin, these are covered with
little spines and it carries them erect. Its colour is pale yellow with
brown spots and stripes on it; the spots about the head and upper arms
are much darker than the others; about the stomach are little things
resembling the wattles of the wattle-bird, they are of a brilliant white
colour. It feeds on small shrimps, climbs about the weeds like a lizard,
and at times swims like a fish and is very rapid and strong in its
motions. It swells out the membranes about the spot where its gills ought
to be, so as to puff itself out like a toad when it takes water in: its
colour resembles that of the common English frog, and it looks remarkably
like one when it sits on a piece of weed, resting on its claws and
puffing out its cheeks. There are several lines of red stripes at the
bottom of its stomach.
We caught also a great many shrimps and crabs; some of the shrimps were
boiled and proved to be very good eating.
August 30.
At 5 hours 30 minutes P.M. a pine tree passed us, covered with barnacles
and surrounded by fish, which swam about this floating island, eating
such things as fell from it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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