CLIMATE AND VEGETATION OF KEEGUELEN's ISLAND. 183 



Koyal Sound marks of luxuriance. For instance, Pringlea antiscor- 

 buttca, which is elsewhere apetalous, here in sheltered places frequently 

 develops petals, some flowers in the same inflorescence possessing 

 one petal only, others having two, three, or four ; and the petals are 

 not always of a pale greenish colour, but occasionally are tinged with 

 purple. Again Lomaria alpina, which is mentioned in the Flora as 

 rare in the neighbourhood of Christmas Harbour, is excessively com- 

 mon and very finely-grown here. There are also more species of 

 flowering plants and of other higher orders of Cryptogamia here than 

 were found by the Antarctic Expedition at the north of the island ; 

 but there are fewer species of Mosses, Lichens, and Algae. Their 

 paucity in comparison with those of other districts is probably due to 

 the nature of the rocks on land and to the seclusion of the bay from 

 the open sea. The additions to the flora are for the most part 

 Falkland Islands species. 



In speaking of the climate it may be mentioned that the plants of 

 Kerguelen's Island are not (as was supposed) in flower throughout 

 the year ; but probably some of them do not cease flowering till late 

 in the winter. When we first arrived in Royal Sound the ground 

 was covered with snow, and scarcely anything had begun to come out. 

 The Pringlea was far advanced in bud, barely commencing to blossom. 

 The Accena was just beginning to burst into leaf. About the first 

 week in November Fesiuca Cookii came out, and a few days later 

 Azorella Selago. The young fronds of the Ferns were just about to 

 unroll. In the third week of the same month Montia fontana and 

 Acaena affinis were in flower in a sheltered spot, Q.ndi Leptinella plumosa 

 was first found in blossom. Galium antardicum appeared about the 

 same date. A week later Himunculus hydrophilus and a Festicca 

 {purpurascms ?) were out, and Lycopodium clavatum was sprouting. 

 By the middle of the month Triodia and Lyallia kerguelensis and also 

 Ranunculus crassipes were in flower, the Pringlea was everywhere past 

 flowering (excepting upon the mountains), and Aira antarctica began 

 to shoot forth its panicles. Before the end of the month a Carex came 

 out, but Bulliardu and other plants delayed still. 



******* 



With the exception of Limosella aquatica, and perhaps Agrostis 

 antarctica, I have obtained all the Flowering Plants and Ferns given 

 in the "Flora Antarctica" as indigenous to the island. Besides 

 these Ranunculus hydrophilus and another species, a Carex, a Festuca 

 (probably F. purpurascens, but I hare no work containing descrip- 

 tions of the Flowering plants), Polypodiuni vulgare, a fern allied to 

 Polypodium, and Cystopteris fragilis have occurred to me. There is 

 also a plant which appears to belong to the Juncacece. Lycopodium 

 clavatum and L. Selago are common about here. None of the Mosses, 

 Hepaticae^ or Lichens have been worked out as yet, but among them 

 are one or two species of Cladonia and some examples of Lecanora 

 paleacea. Fungi are represented by Agaricus {Psalliota) arvetisis. 

 Coprinus atramentarius, and a peculiar parasite on Azorella, which 

 grows out from the rosettes in the form of a clear jelly, which becomes 

 changed into a firm yellowish substance of indefinite form. There 

 are also some Sphceriacei on grass and dead stems of plants. At 

 present few additions have been made to the marine flora. The 



