After crossing about the 22nd parallel of south latitude we fairly entered into the region of flying fish, and dolphins as they are commonly called; tropic birds were now also frequently seen, which had not up to this moment been the case; we often also met hereabouts with a dark-coloured bird with bronzed wings, having a cry precisely like a Snipe. I know not the name of this bird. The more beautiful and largest Sea-jellies (acalepha) had now disappeared, although the more minute ones were as numerous as ever.
REMARKS.
It therefore appears to me that we have, in coming from the southward to this point, passed through three great regions, or zones, of animal life, one extending from as far to the southward as I have yet been, namely 36 degrees south latitude to 31 degrees south latitude; this zone was inhabited by numerous Sea-jellies (acalepha) of the smaller kind, by porpoises and whales, as well as by immense varieties of the Petrels or Procellariae.
The second zone extending from 31 degrees south to 22 degrees south latitude was inhabited by immense numbers of the larger and more beautiful kind of Sea-jellies (acalepha) particularly by those that have the power of stinging. Within this zone I saw but one whale, one shoal of porpoises, and not a single one of the long-winged water birds or Petrels; in fact I but once in the whole of this distance saw any birds; there were also here a great variety and numbers of Sea-jellies (acalepha) of the smaller kinds. Do then the larger acalepha in this zone perform the office of the birds in the more southern one, and prey upon the smaller species of their own kind?
The third zone is the one with which I have commenced the journal of this day.
WATER SNAKES.
November 29. Latitude 15 degrees 26 minutes 32 seconds south; longitude 122 degrees 3 minutes east.
We saw six or seven water snakes (Hydrus) this day, all about three feet long, of a dirty yellow colour, with black stripes, the head black, they were furnished with fins like an eel, were of a very graceful form, and moved on the water exactly like a snake, with the head a little elevated; when they dived they turned up on their backs before they sank: we caught one of these snakes, also a moth and butterfly. A large bat (Pteropus ?) flew about the vessel this evening and pitched several times on the boat astern. I once struck it as it passed me, it appeared much fatigued; we were 150 miles from the main and thirty from the nearest small sandy island.
SHARKS.
We caught two sharks today; the sailors said that they saw fourteen or fifteen little sharks swimming round one of these, and that when the bait was thrown into the water and made a noise some of these swam into her mouth: directly after they had told me this the shark was caught. I had it opened and four young ones were found inside, two had never left the uterus, for they were attached to it at the time, the other two were not so attached, and were larger than the former, and swam well and strongly when put into the water: whether or not they had ever left the mother I cannot of course say. I have preserved two in spirits, one that was attached and one that was not; two intestinal worms were found in the stomach of one of the sharks.