Miscellan eous. 1 39 



dredging safe, or even practicable. I regretted this adverse state 

 of things extremely, as you may suppose, and the more so since I 

 have not the least doubt that the bays, the shores of which are lined 

 with such a prodigious growth of Algae (chiefly Macrocystis) could 

 not fail to yield numerous very interesting animals, more particularly 

 soft species, such as Holothurite and Nudibranchous Mollusks. Jud- 

 ging from the species found along the beaches the shells cannot be 

 very numerous, though this criterion is somewhat fallacious, as drift 

 specimens are liable to get entangled among the dense barrier of 

 sea- weed, and thus prevented from landing. Three or four My till 

 and Modioli, a large Cytherea, something like the C. petechialis of 

 our cabinets, are common ; the Mytili especially swarm. I cannot 

 distinguish the common species from our M. edulis, except in being 

 larger. A small Modiola like M. discrepans is not rare. I procured 

 only one Chiton, but large patelliform shells are the characteristic 

 species ; the Patella and Fissurellce being very large and numerous, 

 though not in great variety as regards species. Owing to the storms 

 and snow rendering the country almost impassable on horseback, I 

 was never able to make any long excursions ; this was the less to be 

 regretted, as the plants were none of them in flower, the season of 

 the year answering to our March, and everything being wrapped in 

 winter. I sent home vid Rio a Ward's case filled with the Tussac 

 grass for Sir William Hooker. I occupied myself principally with the 

 birds during our stay, as although, owing to the inclemency of the 

 weather, collecting of any kind was rather uphill work, these were 

 more easily procured and in greater perfection than any other. I 

 got many species, especially of water birds, and some fine species. 

 Three wild geese, Anas leucoptera, antarctica and brachyptera (the 

 latter unable to fly), are very common ; three gulls, a widgeon, a teal, 

 a white-bellied shag, two penguins (the Aptenodytes demersa and the 

 king penguin), the Procellaria gigantea, and a small grebe very like 

 our Podiceps auritus, are among the most abundant. Of the Raptorial 

 birds, the Polyborus nova zealandia, a very curious bird, which to 

 a structure precisely connecting the two genera Aquila and Buteo, 

 adds the most perfectly vulturine feeding propensities, haunting the 

 slaughter-houses and wherever carrion or offal is to be procured, and 

 being the general scavenger of the settlement, is very common and 

 familiar. The turkey buzzard (Cathartes aura) is abundant, and 

 there are two or three other hawks and an owl or two. Of the Coni- 

 rostral birds I saw only one species, which represents our sparrow ; 

 it is a beautiful green and orange bird, and seems intermediate be- 

 tween the genera Passer and Linota. A fine Cassicus with a bright 

 red throat and breast was also procured, but it is far from plentiful. 

 The most common cantatorial species is a small grayish blue Sylvia 

 with a black head. The shore birds are numerous ; the most inter- 

 esting is a Chionis, I suppose identical with the New Zealand spe- 

 cies. This curious bird in habits and form of body is completely an 

 oyster-catcher ; it is pure white with lead-coloured legs and feet and 

 a very strong bill, the upper mandible quite like that of a gallina- 



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