THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 559 



grasshoppers, and are a little difficult to catch. They cannot 

 fly at all. 



The Pev. H. C. Lory, late Colonial Chaplain in the Falkland 

 Islands, writes to me that these flies inhabit in immense numbers 

 dried matted seaweed which is to be found on the sea-beaches. 

 He says that they escape in hundreds from the seaweed masses 

 when they are broken up, and that the masses are full of the 

 chrysalises of the flies. 



The Gnats which I found, also cannot fly, having even 

 smaller rudiments of wings than the flies. They were found 

 crawling on rocks, on the shore in sheltered places, and also on 

 the sunny sheltered face of a peat-bank, which formed the cattle 

 fence across the narrow neck of the promontory of Lafonia. 

 The gnats run quickly, and when in danger, draw up their legs 

 and drop amongst the grass in order to escape. A Gnat with 

 rudimentary wings, occurs also in Kerguelen's Land. Some 

 species of flies and gnats with rudimentary wings, are known in 

 Europe and elsewhere, and Prof. Westwood has shown me an 

 apterous fly which occurs in England (Borlorus apterns). I 

 found besides a wingless Beetle, and one also with perfect wings, 

 near Darwin Harbour. 



Erom the head of Port Sussex, not far off, I obtained the 

 skeleton of a Ziphioid Whale, complete except the paddles 

 which had been dragged away tied to the ends of lassos, in 

 order to get the oil out of them. The skull was given to me by 

 Mr. John Bonner, a farmer in the neighbourhood. The Whale 

 measured exactly 14 feet in length. It ran on shore in accord- 

 ance with the usual unaccountable propensity of Ziphioid 

 Whales* 



We lashed the skeleton on a pack-horse, by no means an 

 easy matter in the case of so unusual a load. We rode at a 

 good pace, but during the long ride the lashings were constantly 

 getting loose, and we had to dismount at least 30 times. We 

 led the first pack-horse, and hunted and drove along before us 

 the second for which we changed it; but night overtook us 

 before we reached Stanley with the skeleton, and we almost 

 lost our way near the end of the journey. 



*■ See page 158. 



