Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 414 pages of information about Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2.

Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 414 pages of information about Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2.

Total length 1.45 inches. 
Length of apparatus on head 0.17 inches. 
Length of tail 0.25 inches. 
Head and connected apparatus 0.52 inches. 
Tail and body to commencement of first ring 0.48 inches.

June 13.  South latitude 27 degrees 4 minutes; east longitude 47 degrees 38 minutes 15 seconds.

A species of animal (Alima hyalina ?) was caught resembling a scorpion, having six legs, three on each side; the first pair of legs were provided with claws, like a lobster; its tail exactly resembled that of a scorpion; the sac or bag near the extremity of the tail was of a light red colour, and it tried to strike with its tail, as if for the purpose of stinging.  Eyes pale blue, and prominent; body nearly diaphanous, with pale red spots.

Total length 0.33 inches. 
Length of body 0.20 inches. 
Breadth across from eye to eye 0.13 inches. 
Breadth of body 0.14 inches.

Several of the animals which I supposed to be the Velella of Lamarck, and some of which had been caught on the 11th of November 1837 were also found today.  Caught also a species of animal which I had found on October 22 1837, in south latitude 37 degrees 44; east longitude 38 minutes; and again on November 12 1837, in south latitude 30 degrees 11 minutes; east longitude 100 degrees 31 minutes 30 seconds.  It resembles in shape and size a large grape.

Extreme length 0.5 inches. 
Breadth 0.45 inches. 
Total circumference round broadest part 1.30 inches.

Colour brownish blue; but there were round it twenty very narrow brownish yellow stripes, equidistant from each other, and not quite reaching either extremity of the animal.

June 16.  South latitude 28 degrees 46 minutes; east longitude 42 degrees 3 minutes.

We caught an animal this afternoon somewhat resembling a shrimp (Erichthus vitreus)* covered with a shield:  we had caught a similar one on the 12th of November 1837.  From measurements taken from the living animal the dimensions were: 

Length from tip of tail to tip of spine, in front of head 1.15 inches. 
Ditto of spine 0.23 inches. 
Ditto from tip of tail to bottom of last scale 0.2 inches. 
Ditto from tip of spear to end of shield 0.7 inches.

The temperature of the water at 6 P.M. was 71 degrees Fahrenheit; of the air 74 degrees.

(Footnote.  See Illustration 8 volume 1.)

The shield was perfectly air-coloured and diaphanous, and extended for some distance beyond the head and the upper parts of the body; the body itself was of a pale delicate blue, and it threw a very light bluish tinge upon the shield; the eyes were jet black, and placed at the end of a tube like those of the lobster; the tip of the spear was of a light red colour.  Caught also this day the lower portion of a species of Diphyes, the same I had found on the 13th of November 1837 in south latitude 30 degrees 7; east longitude 100 degrees 50 minutes 10 seconds.  The total length of this was 0.5 inches.

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Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.