Nuhou, Volume II, Number 14, 12 September 1873 — Lanai [ARTICLE]

Lanai

CONTIN'I Kl'. irom one oi' the iuost dangerous cveatures in our seas, we turn our attcntion to the most harbiless, to the living marine' vogetaMes, the zoophytes. that fill the pools and caves aloug the rock bound shores of the isle, and present along our coast an jnfinite variety of aquavia for the delight uf the naturalist. !low heaiUieul* and how \aried are ouv sea anemones, that wlt!i fanhke iuflorescoiiee espsnd their delieate membramm many tinted tissue, and then at a toneh, contraet their expanded eorolla, and form a eom|mct minute balt. f»ut see \vhat is still more curious, the many headed hydra of ouv shores, resembling in form the hydra vidrldis of the fresli water of Europe, but so īuueh larger. and beiog white iustead of greeu. rn the still ponds and eaves at low water $ we exammed them very ciosely. ObßU've in a fissure of that l>suitifu mass ot vuriegiUevl eorul, whSt wlll seem at tlD?t like a numt>er oi white cotton s eaeh ahout two feet !ong« spread out on tbe bottom of the stt.il l pool. an<l al! rad|*ting I>om a eentr*\ whleli

18 a short stem growirg out of the rocky bottc: These apparent 6tn*Dgs ? about ten in nuifil"""*r. ' the arm« of our hydra, Now w how eaehi w!]itc cord instinct wUli 1 ādvanee« ? it eontraet>'. it c*urve?. and undu!.V - With exp!oring movemetst, and selzes wlth t hensive grasp ioinute prey thut eomes wlt!iin t' eeope of its radiation ' Now touch one of t!.eWhite exploring artuj>; and <juiekly the w!i; ! group of tentaeu!ar lluihe will eontraet, and e dentrate" mto a ball of defence around the eerjtr stem. A severed liml» Is soon rep!aced by aiv - one, and the hydra is propagated like vegetal • by the budding and of shoots out"of '** tentaeular ai*ms. Hxperlmsnts on " fresh water hydra are very remarkah!e. V. Won!d turn the ann? bnd stem mskle out. ju?t - you wou!d an animart entrail to fill with saus; t£ ; iiieat. and yet thi« reVersed creature wou!d dTJv-* ifcs food, and eontinud its existenee just as well - before, and iuade us of some of <»ur p cians, who ean stomaeh any chaoge. and T turned any way adopt themselv»*> to tvconditions and do wel|l, so that they ean get th«. mawB filled. j i ! The biche de or 4< sea cucuMbi-rs > ** ipli of the natives abounds in the still reeesses 1 this rocky shore. Vou see the inert slugs,—r . ' lpro\vn, black, white and speck!ed, Iying aroti: ' plentifuliy anu eouki we fmd as ready a mark-. for them in as in Singapore, we cou< obtaiu quite £ ri-venue from the l>irehe »!e tripang, or holothuria of 1, i About five thr v\ cstwai\l Maneie we eome to |the lleiau of ilalulu, 3ite of a residence of Kameharōeha the f!reatc of a onee populous fislung >v!!lagej in a it.vi'. that iies between the| lands of Kauoolu unu tv: lia Kapu. This lattor land was a plaee of refug and an interesting ILpvaiian ;i Sp<t ing Cave of " ronnecteu \vith thN UeL . and La tid of refug<\ | i The walls of the ileiau, the aU-u* Hooi , or ki. hu, and other portioiis of the rude stiucture inagood state of priservation. Thr Ikiau, Stone !ines of the old Kamehameha residen<v, - of numereus ancient !m!epilis eovev a spaee cf eouple of acres on both sides of the vavine. ! i>' abound at this poiQt x jaocl it was a favorite Ssbu e resort of the First Kamehameha ; and weli;\d honor to entertain here at one time the Fiflh < thc KamehameUa*, wuo eaiue liere to gratlfy \( native taste fov sp<»rt in the eea He sfir a few days, in a sma!l bay» lloLx>piu a fe\v nilK > west ofKaunolu t tfhere t!iore are Eve reuuirk; jf ' fiatui*a! co!umns; oiie apparently over IPO fc hieh, nnd abont 20 feet diameter at the base,' the others varytbg fr6n\ ?P-to 00 fi\:t iu Jieigt.There is a large the brink of th»- se3rjiV' round the posnt on tjv western >;de of this w!iere the King wou!d sit and aiv!e t and this h. - heen namenl Pohakualii or l\oya! R. ek. !mvo named Honopu King v s !x v | But to return to our Ileiau Vu U- \v C -tx i side, is a natura! gap like a gate wav \v. a wal: rock that lines t!ie In'ink of a pt\\ipkv aS*>u! (eet above t!ie sea ;The oU natiH N xrie>t luu, who was our guMe told us } ?hat tle Qt\\ Kameliamelia would in)metlmes rar 4 ke men 4 wK j\e wlshed to pvaiish | jump from thu* iuto r . sea and some wouM be hnt? or kiHed I>ut t.V- - a uattve now on īLmai nanuxj T otu\ readi!y make ?V> cf fivt tN v \ y frettt\! guTf. 1" : "