MARION ISLAND. 171 



The tracts of lower, nearly flat, land of Marion Island skirting 

 the sea, and the lower hills and slopes along the shore, presented 

 a curious spectacle as viewed from the ship as it steamed in 

 towards a likely-looking sheltered spot for landing. The whole 

 place was everywhere dotted over with albatrosses, the large 

 white albatross or Goney (J), exulans). The birds were scattered 

 irregularly all over the green in pairs, looking in the distance 

 not unlike geese on a common. 



A boat-load of explorers went on shore, everyone having a 

 heavy stick, as it was expected that we might meet with Fur 

 Seals. As the boat pulled on shore cormorants flew about over 

 our heads in numbers. A gull also was common, probably the 

 same as at Kerguelen s Land, and I saw a small bird fly by, 

 close to the water, which was probably Pelacanoides tirinatrix, 

 also of Kerguelen. 



As we approached the shore we saw a pair of terns sitting 

 on the rocks, probably Sterna virgata, which occurs at Kerguelen's 

 Land ; beautiful birds of a light soft grey and white plumage 

 with coral red beaks and feet. The Giant Petrel or " Break- 

 bones " was also wheeling about over the water, and a few large 

 albatrosses. 



As we neared the beach we saw a bird like a small white 

 hen, eyeing us inquisitively from the black rocks, against which 

 a considerable swell was washing. This bird was the " Sheath- 

 bill " {Chionis minor), of which we afterwards saw so much. 



The surf is subdued a great deal by the thick growth of 

 D' Urvillcea utilis upon the rocks. The plant is a huge brown 

 seaweed with stout stems, as thick as one's wrist, attached to the 

 rock by large conical boss-like suckers, and with large spreading 

 leaves on the stalks, provided with floats composed of a series of 

 honeycomb-like air-cells within a thickened frond. With some 

 little difficulty we scrambled out on to the rocks, which were 

 extremely slippery. 



The first to get on shore fell in immediately with a female 

 Sea-Elephant lying on a little patch of damp grass-land at the 

 mouth of a miniature gully, opposite to which we landed. 

 They thought they had got a Fur-Seal, and killed the animal at 

 once by striking it on the head with a stone. 



