Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0237
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[Page 237]
233.
April 1770 to New S Wales
extends sometimes to the lengh of 4 feet both these & the others are in this species of a lovely ultramarine blew but in the more common one which is many times larger than this being near as large as a Goose egg they are of a fine red with these latter however he does his mischeif stinging or burning as it is calld if touchd by any substance they immediately exsert millions of exceeding fine white threads about a line in lengh which peirce the skin & adhere to it giving very acute pain when the animal exserts them out of any of the little knobbs or beads which are not in contact with any some substance into which they can peirce they appear very visibly to the naked eye like small fibres of snow white cotton
13. Calm & fine as Yesterday with the sun as powerfull as ever Last night a great dew fell with which in the morn all the rigging &c was wet myself shooting as usual but saw no new birds except a Gannet which came not near me of those shot several for these 4 or 5 days past killd a good many indeed during this whole time they have been tame & appeard unknowing & unsupicious of men the generality of them flying to the boat as soon as ever they saw it which is generaly the case when at large distances from the land took up Dagysa vitrea & Gemma Medusa radiata, & Porpita Helix Janthina