164 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER." 



Antarctic sea and further within the broad belt of prevalent 

 westerly winds. The combined action of the winds and the 

 current have, no doubt, brought about in greater part the 

 diffusion of the Fuegian and Falkland Island plants to the 

 islands lying eastward of them; but it is possible that the 

 multitude of sea-birds inhabiting the islands, and nesting, as 

 they do, amongst the herbage, may have been of influence 

 in the matter by transporting seeds attached to their feathers or 

 feet. Most of the birds are of widely wandering habits. 



The island of Marion, the larger of the two forming the 

 group, and on which alone of the two an opportunity of landing 

 was afforded, is about 11 miles in length, 8 in extreme breadth, 

 and about 80 square miles in area. The highest point is about 

 4,250 feet above the sea-level. The island is entirely volcanic, 

 and presents the usual features of volcanic islands which are of 

 considerable age. The highest land is in the centre; and 

 irregular slopes lead down to the sea on all sides. These slopes 

 are of very moderate inclination, and are broken in numerous 

 places by shallow valleys bounded by cliffs where the more 

 ancient flows of lava have suffered denudation. These valleys 

 are occupied by more recent lava-flows, which still retain their 

 rough pinnacled upper surface. Further, all over the slopes 

 and summits of the island are scattered irregularly, numerous 

 small cones, formed mostly of conspicuously red scoriae. The 

 lava is basaltic, presenting in many places in the cliffs a columnar 

 structure. Some sand gathered on the shores of a small fresh- 

 water lake near the sea was full of augite and olivine crystals. 



The island was sighted, together with Prince Edward Island, 

 on December 25th, but was not approached closely till the 

 morning of December 26th. The upper part of the island was 

 covered with snow, commencing, as usual, on the slopes as 

 patches lying unmelted in sheltered hollows, succeeded by a 

 general thin coating or powdering over, through which the black 

 rock showed out in all directions, and above this, again, on the 

 highest cones and peaks, forming a continuous sheet of glistening 

 white. The summits were enveloped in clouds, which lifted or 

 dispersed in a partial manner from time to time. Below the 

 snow and up amongst the patchy region, the slopes of the island 



