Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/208

194 to pas through the ret of the intetinal canal, but is probably digorged in the ame manner as many nakes digorge the bones of the animals on which they feed. Poibly too this and may erve them as a ort of ballat, by which they are enabled to keep themelves at the bottom of the ea.

As the food upon which they live is very eaily found, their mouth is formed with a very mall orifice. As they live more in the water than in the air, they require a great power of refraction in the humours of the eye; whence the vitreous humour is found to be very dene. They are likewie provided with the membrana nictitans, whereby they are enabled to admit a greater or leer quantity of light to the eye at pleaure.

The great variety of my other occupations did not permit me to purue thee anatomical invetigations any farther.

The dried excrements of this animal produce a very fine powder of a deep yellow colour, which our painter thought might be ued with advantage in the arts.

6th. I had not as yet been able to procure any of the flowers of a new pecies of the eucalyptus, remarkable by its fruit, which very much reembles a coat-button in hape.

This tree, which is one of the tallet in nature, as