292 NOTES ON THE BOTANY 
* Leaving the beach, the upland grounds are low and flat, 
intersected by small valleys and slow streams, running deep 
in the boggy earth; the Arundo Alopecurus, forming an ex- 
cellent pasturage for cattle, covers all the bogs, and the Bolax 
grows in large hassocks on the drier tracts. Here one has 
constant companions in the Caracara Hawks (Polyborus), 
which follow the stranger everywhere, perching close by, 
upon the ground, frightening the poor rabbits out of their 
forms, and narrowly watching every motion. Nothing grows 
so high as the grass, though now and then tufts occur of the 
Empetrum and a little Arbutus, accompanied by Cornicu- 
larie, Cenomyces with red pyxidia, and Cetraria. 
“ The valleys, again, are full of bushes of Chiliotrichum, 
Trichostomum lanuginosum, Sphagnum, and a few other 
Mosses. Presently a Snipe gets up, or a flock of Thrushes, 
or the beautiful red-breasted Starling (2) twittering and chat- 
tering from bush to bush. The Upland Geese are pairing, 
and geese though they be, an experience of five months, 
during our stay here, has taught them to fly away, instead of 
sitting still to be shot at. The long creeks, which run up 
from the Bay, have their banks covered with slimy confervoid 
Alge, and here the little Zeal swim and whistle in flocks; 
while the Black and White Oyster-catchers keep poking their 
long red bills into the ooze; and busiest of all, the beautiful 
Chionis stands, scarcely heeding you, while the low water 
affords him a feeding-time. 
‘ The hills are all quartz ; and, wherever that formation pre- 
sents itself, it may be recognised by the turf containing 
patches of the Astelia, Caltha appendiculata, Oreobolus obtu- 
sangulus, Gaimarda australis and Myrtus Nummularia. The 
fine Stegania grows only near quartz-rocks, which, though 
so dry and hard, are rendered perfectly beautiful by the 
Usnea melazantha, forming a mimic forest, accompanied by 
other foliaceous and crustaceous Lichens. * Uranie Bay’ is 
of sand, with sand-hills at the back, like the Denes of Yar- 
mouth, in Norfolk ; among these grows a fine Grass, with 
