142 МВ. А. D. COTTON ON CRYPTOGAMS 
“ West Point Island.—On this island, 35 miles from our headquarters, 
there is only one real shore-collecting area, namely, along the strand below 
the settlement. Elsewhere furious seas sweep the shores, and collecting is 
onfined to * beach combing,’ i. e. turning over ‘ Kelp’ thrown on the beach 
after gales. In the cove below the settlement some excellent collecting was 
done, and it is from this spot that the majority of the sea-weeds labelled 
‘West Point Island’ were obtained. The beach within tidal limits is com- 
posed of ground-up quartzite with rounded boulders scattered here and there. 
Along the northern edge of this cove are many rock-pools teeming with 
various sea-weeds. Beyond this is the ever-present ‘Kelp,’ Macrocystis, 
which fringes the shores. 
“ Hope Harbour, —On the mainland opposite West Point Island is Hope 
Harbour, a large and almost land-locked natural indentation of the coast. 
Along its shores on the northern boundary rock-pools abound, while the 
southern shore is sandy with rocks interspersed. At the head of the harbour 
is a fresh-water stream which is frequented at spring tides during summer 
and autumn by large mullet. The majority of the rocks are small enough to 
be turned over with the hand, and littoral life is plentiful owing to the 
sheltered position. 
“ Roy Cove.—Another natural indentation of the coast, and placed on the 
northern shore of King George's Day. It was in this place that we spent 
nearly a year, and were thus able to dredge and make large collections. 
The creek is about a mile and a half in length, and as the rocky sides are 
mostly steep, with a tidal rise and fall of ten feet at springs, it forms an ideal 
place for zoological and botanical collecting. 
* For convenience of description the creek is easily divided into three 
parts—an outer, a middle, and an inner basin,—each part being connected 
with the other by a narrow strip of water. From the inner basin this 
estuary divides into two parts, each being derived from a stream of fresh 
water which flows down into it from the valleys. The shores within tidal 
limits are rocky, being formed of quartzite and being cut up into rocky pools 
and sheets of fantastic shapes, especially above high-water mark. During 
the winter, if the weather is at all severe, ice forms in the creek; and within 
living memory a solid sheet has been observed extending from the mouth to 
the extreme ends. Although waves break across the entrance, they never 
extend beyond the first basin, and it is in this region and especially in the 
second expansion that the fauna and flora are most luxuriant. Above this 
point the fresh water seriously affects the littoral fauna and flora, although 
in the deeper water the dredge continues to capture interesting forms. 
“Shallow Bay.—This bay, where we lived for six months, is shallow, very 
inaccessible, and absolutely land-locked. It is about 30 miles north-east as 
the crow flies from Roy Cove, and really forms a continuation of Port 
Egmont, being part of an inner passage to Tamar Harbour, the first port 
on the north coast of the West Falklands. The whole of Shallow Bay is 
