496 Capt. Carmichael's Description of 



side of the island, two of our party were tempted to get astride 

 upon the back of one of them, and rode him fairly into the water. 



The Falkland Island Seal (Phoca Aiistralis). This species grows 

 to the length of five or six feet. The fur on the back is dark- 

 brown, intermixed with long hairs tipped with white. The throat 

 and breast are cream-coloured, the belly rufous. The vibrissae of 

 the male are white, very long, some of them twelve inches, and 

 hang down over its breast. The fore-feet are placed near the 

 centre of the body, which enables it to sit erect, in an attitude 

 much resembling that of a penguin. Though these animals herd 

 occasionally with the sea-lions, they are much more shy in their 

 nature, and speedily forsake those parts of the island where they 

 are liable to intrusion. They bark like a dog, and are of a bold, 

 ferocious disposition. 



The wild hogs secrete themselves in the deepest recesses of the 

 wood, where it is impossible to pursue them. Their ordinary suste- 

 nance is from the roots of the wild celery and of the Pelargonium : 

 but they occasionally prowl along the sea-shore, and feed on the 

 dead carcasses of seals and sea-lions when they fall in their way. 



The wild goats have retreated to the highest ridges of the 

 mountain, where they are equally secure from disturbance. From 

 the very small number, however, that has been seen there, it may 

 be inferred that they have not greatly multiplied. 



The only land birds on the island are a species of thrush {Tur- 

 dus Guianensis ?), a bunting {Emberiza Brasiliensis ?), and the com- 

 mon moor-hen (Fulica Chloropus). These birds have spread over 

 the whole island, and are found on the table-land as well as on 

 the low ground. The Fiilica conceals itself in the wood, where 

 it is occasionally run down by the dogs ; the others fly about the 

 cantonment, and are so tame as to suffer themselves to be caught 

 with a hand-net. The latter proved extremely destructive to our 



garden. 



