Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Smithsonian Institution Archives.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
September 1853
Simons Bay
with intervals of Calm, or variable
winds. The gales lasted from 4 to 10
days: - the intervals generally, only one
or two days. Consequently, during the
month of September, dredging was
seldom practicable, and even search
for marine animals at low water
was in a great measure prevented
by the violence of the surf. In
October the calms were more fre-
quent. During the first part of my
stay the investigation of the Natural
History of the land, therefore, claimed
most of my attention.
The "J. Cooper" arrived on the 16th - the
Porpoise on the 17th, and the Hancock
not until the 20th. I enjoyed the meeting
with my friends on these vessels very
much, and on comparing notes with
those of the officers who had turned
their attention to Natural History, I found that
Capt. Stevens of the "Cooper" and Lt. Van.
Wycke of the Porpoise had collected marine
animals with which it had not
been my fortune to meet. Lt. Van Wyck
and myself immediately commenced
the study of the Ornithology of the region
42
September, 1853
Simons Bay.
43
and we soon had specimens of about
24 species shot and skinned, which to-
gether with a key of fishes from Ma-
deira, and one of various specimens from
Simons Bay, and else where; - also
the Albatrosse etc. taken on the
Voyage, - were sent to Cape Town for
transplantation to the United States.
In my rambles over the hills I met
with some of the Leopards, baboons,
etc. so frequently seen here in Summer,
but in one instance however I started
a "luck" (small red Antelope) - which
appears to be not uncommon here
as the Hancock's officers shot three or
one occasion.
The season was too early for many an-
imals, otherwise the collections of the
land would have been larger. The num-
ber of insects was however considerable;
- Spiders and Myriapoda were abun-
dant; - a scorpion was common in holes
under stones; - a number of species of Sr.
Celliidae; - and a Scipatus, with two spe-
cies of land Planaria. Three Lemaces I
bounded, but the land shells, with the
exception of two species which live