266 June 1853- Hakodadi, Japan a line fast at the entrance , we dropped our boat gradually in , a curve in the direction of the cave soon shutting out the light, and leaving us in total darkness . We lifted a can- dle , but this by no means served to enlighten the vast black cavity, scarcely enabling to distinguish objects about the boat. We could only hear the heavy murmuring and dash- ing of the surf against the walls on either side , and it required all our care to keep the sides of our boat from the rough con- tact of the rocks . Impelled by curiosity we find a pirogue, and experienced the stunning reverberation of the report in this confined area, luckily escaping being smashed by the fall of any masses of rock from above , which might well have followed this somewhat hazardous experiment. Being sufficiently amused, we hauled out without attempting to reach the bottom of the cavern , which must of course sink at some unknown depth in the bowels of the Rimontory. At the entrance we collected some starfishes and a number of five large edible new- shells resembling exactly M. edulis. In the afternoon I hauled the seine 267 June 1853- Hakodadi, Japan . on the beach , but caught very little, - only a Gobius and a Gymellus in addition to the fishes already obtained . In the loose sands above high water mark I observed numerous small holes , in which I found an large Orchestia , a large and very curious wood-lease ( and an "Ant-lion". 15th. Made an examination of the gravelly and stony shore along the eastern cliffs of the harbor. The ground is good , and at low wa- tes afforded me many new forms, inclu- ding Planaria of the genera Stylocheus, Europ- lepta etc (the nq.) several Nemertes, two species of Edis a new genus of Doridans, a Mollusk allied to Pleurobranchus , several worms, and a singular lamelliform or disc-like Actinia, which covered the rocks at low water mark. Just below this latter limit a species of Asteria 1?) five inches in Diameters and gently colored, was common. An Octopus, two species of Echinus, some shrimps and a few Cempipedes new to me also occurred. 16th Today I made an excursion up the hill back of the town, in company with Mr Wright. We saw on the way much to inter