34 MADEIRA. 



Also T. Venion Wollaston, " Tcstacea Atlantica." London, Reeve and 

 Co. On the Coleoptera, Crotch, P.Z.S., iS6o, p. 359. 



Madeira, February 3rd to 5th, July 15th to 17th, 1873.— 



Madeira is a mass of mountainous rocks, rising to 6,ooo feet in 

 height. The town of Funchal nestles close to the water's edge 

 and straggles up the side of the valley in which it lies. In the 

 early morning the island, viewed in clear weather from seawards, 

 is of a beautiful hazy violet, whilst the sea is of the deepest 

 blue. 



The beach at the landing-place near the town is formed of 

 large pebbles of basalt and is very steep. In landing, boats 

 provided underneath with runners like those of a sledge are 

 used on account of the surf. They are backed in stern first, 

 and are hauled up directly they ground by men stationed on 

 shore. The main part of the town lies close to the beach and 

 is very like the old part of Lisbon. 



The fish market yields many rare fish to naturalists. Deep- 

 sea fish every now and then find their way, for some reason or 

 other, to the surface at Madeira and get picked up, and several 

 very rare fish are known from here only ; as for example, a 

 curious small fish,* allied to the Angler, described by Dr. 

 GiJnther from a single specimen. The " Challenger " dredgings 

 yielded several close allies, and showed that the fish in question 

 was undoubtedly a deep-sea form, as had been surmised. 

 Huge Tunnies, weighing some of them from 6o to loo lbs., 

 are sold in the market. Their flesh is quite red, like beef, 

 and they are cut up and sold just like butchers' meat. The 

 great beauty of Funchal lies in its gardens, where plants of 

 tropical and temperate climates thrive together. Bananas, 

 pine-apples, aloes, vines, prickly pears, guavas, mangoes, 

 oranges, grow together, with a profusion of flowers. 



The island being resorted to by so many invalids, the 

 cemetery forms a conspicuous feature in the scenery. The 

 coffin- makers have the unfeeling habit of manufacturing their 

 wares in front of their shops in the public streets. The roads 

 are narrow, and run directly up and down the steep slopes. 

 They are paved with small pieces of basalt, three or four inches 

 long. The stone pavement has become, by constant use, 

 polished and slippery, and the traffic is carried on by means of 

 sledges on runners instead of with wheels. These come down 

 the steep hills at a very rapid pace. 



I made an excursion to the Grand Cural. We rode ponies 

 which trotted or galloped up the steepest hills. A native went 

 with each pony, and liung on to its tail to help himself along 



* McUiHocetus, " Proc. Zool. See.,'' 1S64, p. 301. 



