552 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER." 



Islands similarly soon satiates the sportsman, who finds himself 

 early in the day with a heavier bag than he can stagger under. 



The geese at Elizabeth Island showed some wariness, and 

 some little trouble had to be taken in order to get within shot of 

 them, unless they were met with in long grass. When on the 

 alert, they settled on the summits of the hillocks and ridges, in 

 order to have a wide view of the enemy. One had to creep up 

 under cover of the hill-slopes, and make a final rush forwards 

 towards the flock. The birds are startled by this, and it is some 

 time before they make up their minds to fly. 



No doubt the wariness of these geese is due to their pro- 

 genitors having been hunted for generations by natives in old 

 times. Elizabeth Island is fringed with Kitchen-middens of 

 large extent, which are full of vast quantities of bones of the 

 Sea Lion (Otaria jubata). Mr. Murray excavated some of these 

 mounds, and found some stone arrow-heads and stone fishing- 

 net sinkers. The island was inhabited at the time of the early 

 Dutch Voyages. 



Besides the middens there are plenty of small shallow 

 circular excavations with the thrown-out earth heaped around, 

 which mark the site of Fuegian huts. The human debris is 

 evidently of all ages, and I even found a sardine tin amongst it, 

 perhaps left there by Cunningham. 



The geese at the Falkland Islands are far tamer than those 

 at Elizabeth Island, and seem not to understand a gun, though 

 they have been shot at now for a long period. The Falkland 

 Islands, however, were never inhabited by any savage race, and 

 the birds have not had time to learn. The other birds in 

 Magellan's Straits, which also occur at the Falklands, as for 

 example the Loggerhead Ducks, show the same contrast in their 

 wildness. They have been hunted for generations by the hungry 

 Fuegians. 



The young wild geese at Elizabeth Island, whilst still covered 

 with black down, run amongst the grass with astonishing quick- 

 ness, and are as difficult to shoot as rabbits. It is no easy task 

 to catch them by running. A brood when met with separates, 

 every gosling running off in a different direction. The young- 

 birds dodge behind a tuft of grass, and squatting closely under 



