The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-26
A NaTURALIST IN THE WEST INDIES.

English, and called St. Peters, which lie.
about ten miles eastward of st. Thomas, ano
is used by the English as coaling station
A reef unites the latter island with the main
land. This is but few hundred feet long
quite narrow, and consists of beach Gle
nosit of Single and coral cemented togeth-
er so as to form very hard and comPact
conelomeration. Inside this reef IS shall
low, quiet cove between the westermost END
of the island and the main land. During a
stop made at st. Thomas last summer, while
resting with Professor Agasis party, found
this to be a good collecting ground for cor
ais. ...- ..
Outside of the little island to the south,
lies larger island high and rocky, called
Water Island. Passing through the reef, l
had nv boatman row me out to the western
shore of this Island, where knew some very
interesting corals and other marine animals
were to be found. Landing with basket
full of bottles. hammer, Sc, 1 kept along
the shore, waCling about in the shadows, my
man kef ping near me to take into the boat
the specimens as l collected them. Sharks
are plentiful here, but felt no uneasiness on
that score, as the boatman assured me that
they did not come so close in shore unless
they are very hungry. The shore here is in
part rocky, in part sandy, while just along
shore the bottom is shallow, and composed
of white sand The water is perfectly clear,
and moderately open to the action of the
sea.
About high-tide mark, an immense num-
Der of specimens of large and pretty Lit
torina are found clinging to the rocks, while
among the stones laid bare by the tide, large
numbers of small gasteropods creep about
Among these is the well-known bleeding
II, -, IL, 1ro1
shells that are used for food. Among these
is the giant conch-that large, wide-mouth-
ed shell tStr0nbus gigas, with rich pink tint
inside, so common as mantel ornament
This shell lives in moderately deep water
I found one live specimen. IWish my read
ers could see the curious animal that teuants
that blushing chamber.
There, thrown rudely among the rocks by
the waves, lies my prize, its delicate lip
bruised and broken. l pick it up; but
can only see that something is in the shell,
but it has retired so far that cannot distinct
ly see it. While am examining it the ami
NAL begins to protude itself, and what an
Odd-looking creature! There is pushed out,
from inside, what looks like foot with on
ly one toe, and that is armed with something
that resembles Il long flat nail or claw. In
front of this projects a strange tinger-like
proboscis, at the end of which is the mouth,
while from the base of this organ extends
two long stalks an inch and a half long,
more or less, on the tip of which is beau
tiful bright eye with a golden iris. Near
the tip, on the inner side, each stalk bears a
little feeer or tentacle, and now our conch
has stretched his strange, ill-shapen body far
out of the shell and presses the claw armed
notified forcibly against the hand. This
shell belongs to family of molluses which
is noted for being carrin-feeders and lively
in their motions The large shell so often
seen on mantel-pieces, whose lip flares out
into number of long, fnger-like spines, be-
longs to this family, and there is small
West Indian species, which, from its activity
of motion, has, earned for it tine name of
strom6ns pugilis, OF the fighting stromb.
Turning over the stones, my walls were
soon filled with curious tortoise-like Chitons
marine worms, crabs, &C.
On the larger rocks and on the lodges |
along shore grew number of massive cor
ais. The largest of these was a species of |
aneandrinG or Brain coral, so-called because !
the cells on the surface are long and convo-
luted, causing the surface to resemble that of
the brain. Some os these masses were three |
or four feet in diameter. One fine specimen |
I succeeded in securing by dint of much |
tugging and hammering. This coral is of a |
brown color, when alive, and it grows in |
spherical masses
Another coral iSiderastroa grew in smaller
and fatter colonies, whose cells were small |
and star shaped, while vet another of a dark |
brown color and with larger and more prom
inent cells than the latter, formed small gIo-
bular masses of the size of the first 0rbicella.
A not uncommon coral is called Porites as
tr9oides, which is of a bright sulphur vel
low, and grows in fiat patches on the rocks.
On the same ground large specimens of a
1H0dep01'0. M. lGlzaata grew attached to the
rocks like immense flat yelowish brown
fringe. Some were three or four feet across.
In some places the Lodges were as thicky
covered with them as decaying logs are with
fungi in damp places. 1t was not an easy
matter to collect specimens of this speciee.
especially when the water was up to ones
neck, and heavy swell was breaking in
over them; but had soon as many large
specimens as l could accommodate in nv
boat.
These shores are the very paradise of sea
urchlns, or "sea eggs" animals exceedingly
interesting to the naturalist. but of which, I
presume, my readers, most of them, have
faint idea. Then are animals with more or
less globular bodies, IL thin shell marvelously
constructed of little polygonal plates solder
ed together, the whole covered outside with
a forest of sharp, movable spines. There is one
large species, four or five inches in diameter.
with small, whitish spines, which is very
common growing among the rocks or on the
sand: Another kind is small, larger and
stouter spine, of a dark purple color. These
are usually found wedged in holes and Gre
wees IN the rocks, and bushels might be
picked off the reef at low tide; but there is
another that the collector will never forget
Carleton published, some time ago, conf
;al little album of caricatures, entitled &C Our
Artist In Cuba In one of the sketches.
Dur artist and his attendant meager-tailed
;hicken, bent on a bath, have encountered a
plny little monster, of whose character they
eem TO entertain wholesome doubt. There
no installing the animal.
One sees at St. Thomas, perhaps for the
lrst ume through the clear but tremulous
water, something that looks like a bunch of
oft sea weed. He stoops down to pick it
Up when the boastmen shrieks: "Mussen'
ouch dat. Pizen!" He is just little too
q te-there is cry of pain, and the band.
tripping with blood, is drawn out Of the
vater pierced by dozen spines of villain
us sea urchln, which some sentimental nat