8th December. Soon after daybreak a shark appeared, which took the bait very readily. While we were playing him under the cabin window he cast something out of his mouth which either was, or appeared very like, his stomach; this it threw out and drew in again many times. I have often heard from seamen that they can do it, but never before saw anything like it.

11th. This morning we took a shark, which cast up its stomach when hooked, or at least appeared to do so. It proved to be a female, and on being opened six young ones were taken out of her, five of which were alive, and swam briskly in a tub of water. The sixth was dead, and seemed to have been so for some time.

13th. At night a squall, with thunder and lightning, which made us hoist the lightning chain.

22nd. Shot one species of Mother Carey's chickens and two shearwaters; both proved new, Procellaria gigantea and sandalecta. The Carey was one but ill-described by Linnæus, Procellaria fregata. While we were shooting, the people were employed in bending the new set of sails for Cape Horn.

23rd. Killed another new Procellaria (œquorea) and many of the sorts we had seen yesterday. Caught Holothuria angustata, and a species of floating Helix, much smaller than those under the line, and a very small Phyllodoce velella, sometimes not so large as a silver penny, yet I believe it was the common species.