HOMEWARD VOYAGE. Ill 



miles within the tropics to follow an outward bound 

 vessel. Another petrel much resembling- it — a new 

 species with long-er wings and different marking's^ 

 the head, neck, and upper surface being- dark choco- 

 late, and the lower parts white— was abundant be- 

 tween the latitude of 46° and 40" south, and between 

 the parallels of 36" and 35° S., Procellaria conspi- 

 cillata was numerous, but unfortunately I had no 

 opportunity of procuring- specimens of either. 



Five days after leaving- the Falkland Islands, we 

 encountered a very heavy g"ale, commencing- at 

 south-east, and blowing- hardest at east, when the 

 barometer was down to 29.264, — next day the wind 

 went round to the south-west and moderated. From 

 the latitude of the entrance of the River Plate up to 

 lat. 15° S., we experienced northerly winds between 

 E.N.E. and W.N.W., after which we g'ot winds 

 commencing- at S.W. and merg-ing* into the S.E. 

 trade, which we may be said to have fairly g'ot in 

 13|-° S. lat. and 23^° W. long-., and lost in 6° N. 

 lat., and 22° W. long-. We picked up the N.E. 

 trade in lat. 13° N. and long-. 24" W. and carried 

 it up to lat. 29° N. and long-. 37|-° W. I mention 

 these particulars as the limits of the trade-winds as 

 experienced by us were considered to differ consider- 

 ably from what was to be expected at this season 

 of the year. Gulf weed made its first appearance 

 in lat. 24° N. and long-. 35J° W. but in small 

 quantity, and was last seen in lat. 38° N. and long-. 

 33J° W. in detached pieces, mostly dead. About 



