The animal of northern Europe and Asia is usually considered to be distinct from the American, and lately the Alaskan moose has been christened Alces gigas, marked by greater size, relatively more massive skull, and huge antlers.

Throughout this vast extent of territory but two species are recognized, the common moose, Alces americanus, and the Alaska moose, Alces gigas, of the Kenai Peninsula.

In the Kenai Peninsula and the country around Cook Inlet, Alaska, with an unknown distribution to south and east, we find the distinct species recently described as Alces gigas.

282d} Priodonta gigas. {288}

On the 29th Mr. Bedwell went to Captain Cook's Turtle Reef but he was unsuccessful in his search for that animal; neither did he find any shells different from what we had previously seen; only a few clams (Chama gigas) were brought away, besides a small fish of the shark tribe (Squalus ocellatus, Linn.).

A few shells of the Voluta ethiopica and some clams (Chama gigas) were found, but neither sort was plentiful.

It is formed principally of coral, on the surface of which we found the gray trepang; a small Chama gigas, a cypraea, a pretty azure-coloured species of asteria, and a few bivalve shells.

Of shells there was not a great variety; a chama (Tridacna gigas, Lam.) a pinna, and the trochus (caerulescens) of Dirk Hartog's Island; but at one of the fireplaces they found a very large voluta that seemed to have served the purpose of a water-vessel; it was fifteen inches long and ten inches in diameter.

Although much larger, it comes very near to the P. Gigas of Linnaeus and Stoll, and like it, belongs to Lichtenstein's division, thus characterized, "Alata elytris alisque in utroque sexu.

Tridacna gigas, Lam. Hist.

Chama Gigas, Gmel.

Scattered about on different parts of the reef were many Chama gigas, not, however, so large as those I had formerly seen at Keeling or Cocos Islands, in the Indian Ocean, weighing 220 pounds.