Besides these animals, six varieties of Pteropodes were caught; also a Glaucus, differing from that of the Atlantic Janthina penicephala Per., a Planaria, Salpa vivipara Per., a Pyrosoma, resembling that of the Atlantic, and a Lepas, attached to the shell of the Janthina. Our collection of Acalephi was extremely rich; of fourteen kinds taken, only one, Physalia Lamartinieri, was known to us.
Our eight days' stay at the coral island Otdia, afforded us an opportunity to observe or collect about one hundred different kinds of marine animals. It has already been mentioned elsewhere, that the only kind of mammalia found upon this island is a middling-sized cat, which feeds on the fruit of the pandanus tree, and makes its nest in the dead branches, which it easily hollows out. Several lizards have also been found in these islands, such as the striped Ablepharus of O Tahaiti, and a small Gecko; a large coal-black lizard was several times seen, but always escaped among the dry pandanus leaves. The fishes are remarkable for the singularity of their form, and the beauty of their colours; those brought to us by the inhabitants belonged to the Holocentrus, Scarus, Mullus, Chætodon, Heniochus, Amphacanthus, Theutis, and Fistularia.
Of Crustacea we saw twenty different kinds; among them a Gonoplax of the middling size, and as white as the coral-sand, among which it lives, on the shore. The Hippopus found here differs from the maculatus already known by the much greater elevation of its shell. The large Tridachna is the Tr. squamosa Lam. It is very unusual to meet with an animal belonging to the family of Lepades in tubular holes made in the coral rocks, as is the case with the Lithonaetta N. Among the twenty kinds of tabular coral here observed, there was not one of those collected at O Tahaiti; there were three new Distichoporæ, Seriatipora, six kinds of Madrepora, two Porites, four Astrea, Pocillopora cærulea, and another kind, forming broad, yellow, leafy masses, the slime of which stings like a nettle; Cariophyllæa glabrescens Cham., and Tubipora, with red animalculæ.
A calm of several days, between eighteen and twenty degrees of north latitude, during our passage to Kamtschatka, afforded opportunities for the observation of several remarkable animals. A small animal of Lamarck's family of Heteropodes, with two rows of separate fins, received the name Tomopteris. Secondly, a Salpa, of the class which lives apart and has fine long fibres projecting from the hinder part of the body. Thirdly, a small animal, nearly allied to the Diphyes, the soft part of the body, which contains the tube for receiving nourishment, having no air-bladder. Fourthly, a small Beroe, having the power of drawing in its fins. Fifthly, a very small Porpita. The sixth animal was a very remarkable crab, the triangular shell on the back, only two lines in length, provided with a spike from eight to ten lines long, (Lonchophorus anceps,) projecting both before and behind. Professor Germar has given to a species of beetle the name Lonchophorus, but the same had already been described by Mac Leay, under the name of Phanæus. Seventhly, an animal belonging to the class Arthrodiæ, (Arthronema N.) the exterior consisting of stiff tubes, in the interior of which is afterwards found a skin, which eventually divides into separate parts. Eighthly, a Clio, about a line in length, with a projection from the globular part of the body. Ninthly, a second variety of Appendicularia, described by my friend and companion, on board the Rurik, A. von Chamisso, in the tenth volume of the N. Acta Acad. Leop. Car., which proved to be a species of Mollusca belonging to the Heteropodes of Lamarck. Tenthly, a Pelagia, scarcely, if at all, to be distinguished from the Panopyra Per. Lastly, a new kind of Cestum, C. Najadis N.
In the thirty-fourth degree of latitude, renewed calms again enabled us to add to our collection, firstly, a new species of Physsophorides (Agalma N.); secondly, a new Diphyes; thirdly, a new Pelagia, with a yellow skin on the belly, attached to which was a small Cirrhipede of the class Cineras; fourthly, a Medusa, with broad belly-bags, and four strong fins; fifthly, a Medusa of the same species, with five and six fins; sixthly, a very small Entomostracea of a flat form, and distinguished by its blue glossy colour, similar to that of the Hoplia farinosa; seventhly, a Loligo, probably cardioptera Per., remarkable on account of the largeness of its eyes; eighthly, a second species of Phyllirhoe, placed by Lamarck among the Heteropodes, to which class it does not, however, belong. The species found in the South Sea has no eyes, and plain feelers; on which account it was formerly considered by us as forming a distinct class, and called Eurydice. But, although the Phyllirhoe is found to vary so remarkably in its formation, owing to the want of feet, still I consider it as nearly allied to the Eolidia. Ninthly, a new Glaucus, of a remarkably slim body, with short fins, and of a blackish-blue colour. Tenthly, a Eucharis N. In addition to these, no less than eight Crustacea were taken in the net. In the vicinity of Kamtschatka, the vessel sailed daily through red masses floating on the surface; on drawing up some of the water, the pail was found full of red Calanus, a line and a half long, with rough feelers of the same length as the body.
In Kamtschatka we found the Bay of Awatscha poor in Mollusca and radiated animals, owing probably to the inconsiderable ebb and flood. The objects most frequently met with, were an ugly little Turbo, the empty shell of which was tenanted by a black Pagurus and a Balanus. A large Cyanea differs from the European C. ciliata, in the form of the stomach. Another Medusa, constituting a new kind of Sthenonia N., was observed; its digestive organs resemble those of the Aurelia; and about the edge, eight bunches of very long fibres project, provided, like those of the Physaliæ, with two rows of suckers.
The environs of St. Peter and St. Paul, lying under fifty-three degrees of north latitude, possess an insect Fauna, such as is in Europe only found in sixty and seventy degrees of latitude; as for instance, in Lapland and Finland. A great number of species are exactly similar in both regions; others of the Kamtschatkan insects have been met with nowhere else, except in Siberia, and a small number is quite peculiar to the former country. All have not yet been subjected to a diligent examination, and only the following can be with certainty mentioned.
Firstly, in the North of Europe also, are found: Pteroloma Forstroemii Gyllh., Nebria arctica Dej. (hyperborea Schoenh.), Blethisa multipunctata, Pelophila borealis, Elaphrus lapponicus and riparius, Notiophilus aquaticus, Loricera pilicornis, Poecilus lepidus, Dyticus circumcinctus, Staphylinus maxillosus, Buprestis appendiculata, Elater holosericeus, Ptilinus pectinicornis, Necrophorus mortuorum; Silpha thoracica, lapponica, opaca, and atrata; Strongylus colon, Byrrhus albo-punctatus, dorsalis, varius and aeneus; Hydrophilus scarabæoides and melanocephalus; Cercyon aquaticum, Hister carbonarius, Psammodius sabuleti, Trichus fasciatus, Oedemera virescens, Apoderus Coryli, Leptura trifasciata, atra and sanguinosa, Lema brunnea, Cassida rubiginosa, Chrysomela staphylæa, lapponica, ænea, viminalis, armoracea and vitellinæ; Eumolpus obscurus, Cryptocephalus variegatus, Coccinella 7 punctata, 13 punctata, mutabilis, and 16 guttata. Secondly, such as have been hitherto found only in Siberia, though their number is but small: Cantharis annulata Fisch., Dermestes domesticus Gebl., Aphodius ursinus N., and A. maurus Gebl., and Leptura sibirica.
Among the beetles which have as yet been met with nowhere else, and are therefore considered peculiar to the country, may be named: a Cicindela, between hybrida and maritima; a Carabus of the form of the cancellatus Illig., with black feelers and legs; C. Clerkii N., and another, green, with gold border, of the form of the catenulatus, caught near the line of perpetual snow on the volcano Awatscha: C. Hoffmanni N., Nebria nitidula, which is the same as the Carabus nitidulus Fabr., as appears by that preserved in Banks's Museum, hitherto the only specimen in Europe; great numbers of these are found in the valleys: a second black sort was caught on the volcano. Further, a small bright yellow Pteroloma, an Elaphrus, Bembidia six kinds, Agonum four kinds, an Omaseus, an Amara, Elater scabricollis Esch. Entomogr.; an Elater, like undulatus P., three kinds, which like Bructeri, live among stones; a wingless kind which is found buried in the sea-sand, and a perfectly black Campylus.
Besides these, a beetle forming a peculiar species between Atopa and Cyphon; Cantharis cembricola Esch., and one resembling the testacea; a Hylecoetus, scarcely differing from dermestoides; Catops; a Heterocerus, broad and covered with whitish scales; an Elophorus; two Phaleriæ with a black ground; two kinds of Stenotrachelis, both larger than the European, which has hitherto borne the name of Dryops ænea; and in fact, the beetle in Banks's Museum, so called by Fabricius, is either the same, or a species very nearly resembling it, and it may therefore be conjectured that some mistake has accidentally occurred in the designation of its native country in that Museum. There still remain to be mentioned a Chrysomela, like the pyritosa, and a Coccinella with five very large spots upon both wing-covers, found on the line of perpetual snow on the volcano. It is also probable that the valley of the Kamtschatka river, although lying farther north than the environs of the Awatscha, yet possesses a richer in sect Fauna, as the climate there is much milder, and adapted to agriculture.