Mr Scouler's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 203 



hook bated with a little suet ; while off the Patagonian coast 

 we caught about 200 individuals, which, notwithstanding their 

 fishy flavour, were not disliked by the sailors. The Petrel, 

 when caught, never fails to vomit a considerable quantity of 

 yellowish oily fluid on his enemy, and on dissection the source 

 of this supply is easily detected. The first stomach is large 

 and membranous, and thickly set with numerous glandular 

 follicles, which appear to be the organs which secrete this oily 

 fluid, the only defensive weapon this animal possesses. The 

 Petrel lives chiefly on the minute Crustacea, as we found no 

 other kind of animals in the numerous stomachs we examined. 



29th. — For several dayspast great quantities of sea-weed have 

 floated past us, and we at last succeeded in procuring a mass of 

 this fucus, which, on examination, proved to be the F.pyriferus. 

 The roots of this plant abounded in marine animals, forming 

 a little floating menagerie of Crustacea and zoophytes. We 

 obtained five species of sertularia, two species of testaceous 

 mollusca, two sea-stars, (Asterice,) two fine species of Cancer, 

 an Echinus, and a Hirudo. 



4th November. — We have now got round Cape Horn with- 

 out experiencing any of those dreadful storms which are far 

 more alarming in the journals of travellers than off the coast 

 of Terra del Fuego. The chief difficulty arises from the con- 

 stant westerly winds ; but in the summer season probably 

 little danger is to be apprehended. 



8th. — This morning we were nearly becalmed, and had abun- 

 dance of albatrosses in the vicinity of the ship. In the course 

 of an hour we succeeded in procuring forty specimens, all of 

 the dark-coloured variety, D.Juliginosa. Some of these birds 

 measured seven feet between the tips of the wings. Their 

 weight did not correspond well with their size, as they generally 

 weighed about five pounds. This was owing to the very thick 

 plumage with which they were provided. The physiognomy of 

 the albatross is very remarkable ; its flat head and crooked bill 

 give it some resemblance to the owl, which is much heighten- 

 ed by its large eyes and very convex cornea, — a structure 

 which renders it probable that this animal seeks its food chiefly 

 during twilight. The oesophagus of this bird is furnished at 

 its upper part with an apparatus similar to what we find in the 



