During this course, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander had an opportunity of observing many marine animals, of which no naturalist has hitherto taken notice; particularly a new species of the _Oniscus_, which was found adhering to the _Medusa Pelagica_; and an animal of an angular figure, about three inches long, and one thick, with a hollow passing quite through it, and a brown spot on one end, which they conjectured might be its stomach; four of these adhered together by their sides when they were taken, so that at first they were thought to be one animal, but upon being put into a glass of water they soon separated, and swam about very briskly. These animals are of a new genus, to which Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander gave the name of _Dagysa_, from the likeness of one species of them to a gem: several specimens of them were taken, adhering together sometimes to the length of a yard or more, and shining in the water with very beautiful colours. Another animal, of a new genus, they also discovered, which shone in the water with colours still more beautiful and vivid, and which indeed exceeded in variety and brightness any thing that we had ever seen: the colouring and splendour of these animals were equal to those of an Opal, and from their resemblance to that gem, the genus was called _Carcinium Opalinum_. One of them lived several hours in a glass of salt water, swimming about with great agility, and at every motion displaying a change of colours almost infinitely various. We caught also among the rigging of the ship, when we were at the distance of about ten leagues from Cape Finister, several birds which have not been described by Linnæus; they were supposed to have come from Spain, and our gentlemen called the species _Motacilla velificans_, as they said none but sailors would venture themselves on board a ship that was going round the world: one of them was so exhausted, that it died in Mr. Banks’s hand, almost as soon as it was brought to him. It was thought extraordinary that no naturalist had hitherto taken notice of the _Dagysa_, as the sea abounds with them not twenty leagues from the coast of Spain; but, unfortunately for the cause of science, there are but very few of those who traverse the sea, that are either disposed or qualified to remark the curiosities of which Nature has made it the repository.