Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0061
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[Page 61]
To Brazil
Octr. 1768
of a much greater variety of colour, this consisting of no other than blue lines on the back crossing each other, a gold & purple changeable on the sides, & white with black lines on the bottom of the sides & belly.
After having examind & drawn the animal we proceeded to dissect him, & in the course of the operation were much pleasd by the infinite strenght we observd in every part of him, specialy the stomack, the coats of which were uncommonly strong especialy about the spincter, or extremity by which the digested meat is discharged; this I suppose is intended to crush & render usefull the scales & bones of fishes which this animal must continualy swalow without seperating them from the flesh.
from the inside of its scales we took a small animal who seemd to be a louse