30 



NATURE 



[May 13, 1875 



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 

 yestuca Cookii came out, and a few days later Azorella sela^o. 

 The young fronds of the ferns were just about to unroll. In the 

 third week of the same month Montiafontana and Acczna affinis 

 were in flower in a sheltered spot, and LepUnella plumosa was 

 first found in blossom. Gahum antarcticuin appeared about the 

 same date. A week later. Ranunculus Jtydrophilus and a 

 Festuca {purpurascens ?) were out, and Lycopodium clavatuni was 

 sprouting. By the middle of the month Jriodia and Lyallia 

 kerguelensis and also Ranunculus crassipes were in flower ; the 

 Fringlea was everywhere past flowering (excepting upon the 

 mountains), and Aira anlarctica began to thoot forth its panicles. 

 Before the end of the month a Carex came out ; but Bulllarda 

 and other plants delayed still. 



A few species of Mammals have been introduced into the 

 island. Mice (evidently il/«j musculus, L.) are common along 

 the coast, and have been found by us in various places. The 

 rabbits, transported by order of the Admiralty from the convict 

 settlement in Table Bay, have been landed bjr H.M.S. Volage in 

 Koyal Sound. They share with the birds holes of the petrels, 

 and are (it is almost superfluous to mention) propagating freely. 

 Their favourite food is the Actcna ; but they occasionally eat 

 Fringlea leaves and gnaw away the green surface of Azorella. 

 In the Crozettes, whose climate and flora are said to resemble 

 those of this island, rabbits have become extremely abundant, 

 and so rank and coarse that the sealers will not eat them. 

 Goats are increasing in numbers on the leeward side of the main 

 land. 



Whales and porpoises occasionally enler the Sound. Old 

 skulls of the latter, wanting the lower jaw, are cast up here and 

 there on the beaches. 



Up to the present time I have captured only two species of 

 seals — a female sea leopard and two males of a Platyrhine Sea). 

 The other kinds frequent the more open parts of the coast and 

 islands. 



Tweaty-two species of birds, at the fewest, perhaps twenty- 

 three, frequent Royal Sound, viz., a Chionis, a Cormorant, a 

 Teal, a Tern, a Gull, a Skua, eleven (periiaps twelve) Petrels, 

 two Albatrosses, and three (perhaps four) Penguins. Of these, I 

 have procured eggs of the first six ; also of six Petrels, one Alba- 

 tross, and two Penguins. The Thalassidroina are preparing for 

 laying. 



Fish are rather scarce in Observatory Bay. Only three 

 species have hitherto occurred to us, two of which are common 

 under stones at low water. The remains of a Rata have also 

 been picked up on one of the islands by an of&cer of the Volage, 

 but hardly sufficient is lefc to enable the species to be determined. 

 It is allied to R. clavata and R. radiata. 



The entomology of the island is very interesting. Most of the 

 larger insects seem to be incapable of flight. I have found re- 

 presentatives of the orders Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, 

 and Colembola. 



The Lepidoptera comprise a species of the Noctuina (as I 

 suppose) and one of the Tineina. Of the first I have not yet 

 reared the imago ; the larva is a moss eater and subterranean : 

 the adult is probably as large as an A^roiis of medium size. The 

 species of Tineina is probably one of the Gelechida, judging from 

 the form of the palpi. Its larva feeds on young shoots of Festuca:^ 

 and sometimes spins a silken cocoon for the pupa. The imago, 

 of which the sexes are alike, has acute and very abbreviated 

 wings, and the posterior pair extremely minute. In repose the 

 antennae are widely separated, and almost divaricate. When the 

 sun shines the adult is active, and, if alarmed, jumps to a distance 

 of two or three inches at a time. During its passage through the 

 air the wings are vibrated. 



The Diptera. are represented by species of the Tipulidaj and 

 Muscidse. There are three of the former family. One of them 

 is a small species of the Cecidomyidse, which is abundant in 

 mossy places, and presents no marked peculiarity. Another 

 seems to be a degraded member of the Tipulidas. The antennas 

 have six joints, the palpi two ; the wings are ligulate and very 

 minute. It possesses halteres, and the female has the ovipositor 

 enclosed in an exposed sheath. Although it is unable to fly, it 

 lives upon rocks in the sea, which are covered at high water, 

 and there it deposits its eggs in tufts of Enteromorpha. The 

 third species has full-sized w ngs : it was caught in the house. 

 The indigenous Muscidae are very sluggish in their movements, 

 and are incapable of flight. Four species are common about 

 here. One of them is ab.i.rdant on Fringlea, crawling over the 



leaves. When it is approached it feigns to be dead, and, tucking 

 up its legs, drops dov/n into the axils of the leaves ; or, if it 

 happens to be upon a plane surface, one need only look at it 

 closely, and it throws itself promptly upon its back and remains 

 motionless until the threatened danger is over, when it gra- 

 dually ventures to move its limbs and struggle to regain its 

 footing. Its wings are represented by minute gem mules, and it 

 possesses halteres. The ovipositor is extended, its apical joint 

 alone being retracted. The penis is porrected beneath the abdo- 

 men, where it fits into a notch at the apex of the penultimate 

 segment. The larva feeds on decaying vegetable matter. 

 Another species occurs on dead birds and animals, as well as 

 beneath stones near the highest tide-mark. It is completely 

 destitute of even the vestiges of wings and halteres. The sexual 

 organs are concealed. It and the preceding species are rather 

 smooth. A third species, slightly hairy, is common among tide 

 refuse and on the adjacent rocks, which are coated with stunted 

 Enteromorpha, on which plant, inter alia, the larva feeds. It has 

 very small triangular rudiments of wings, slightly emarginate 

 near the apex of the costa, and possesses halteres. The sexual 

 organs are not exposed. The fourth species occurs amongst 

 grass growing along the shore, and also in Shag rookeries. Its 

 Imear and very narrow wings are almost as long as the abdomen. 

 It can jump, but cannot fly. The sexual organs are retracted. 



A Fulex is parasitic upon Ilalidroma, and one (possibly the 

 same species) on Diomedea fuliginosa. 



Coleoptera are not uncommon. The larger species seem to 

 have their elytra soldered together. There is a small species of 

 the Brachyelytra. 



Several species of Nirmiidce have been obtained. 



Two Fodurce (one black, the other white) are plcntifuL 



There appear to be few species of Spiders, though individuals 

 are numerous. Penguins and some of the other birds are in- 

 fested with Ticks. The remaining Arachnida are related to 

 Cribates. 



The Crustacea, Annelida, MoUusca, and Echinodermata in 

 this part of the island have probably been collected by the Chal- 

 lenger more extensively than I have been able to do ; therefore I 

 need not particularise further about them than to state that 

 Entomostraca abound in the lakes ; an earthworm is common, 

 and a land-snail is very plentiful amongst the rocks on the hills. 

 This last appears to appreciate comparative heat, for specimens 

 obtained in an exposed place during the frosty weather were 

 assembled together for warmth, under the drip of an icicle. 



In Observatory Bay Coelenterata are not numerous. One or 

 two species of Actiniidx on the rocks and Macrocystis roots, 

 and an Ilyanthid in mud, are the only Actinozoa I have met 

 with. The Hydrozoa similarly have afforded only three species — 

 a Corynid, a Campanularian, and a So'tularella. 



There are several Sponges. 



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 have no work contain- 

 ing descriptions of the flowering plants), Folypodium vulgare, a 

 fern aUied to Folypodium, and Cystopteris fragilis have occurred 

 to me. There is also a plant which appears to belong to the 

 Juncaceae. Lycopodium clavatutn and L. selago are common 

 about here. None of the Mosses, Hepaticas, or Lichens have 

 been .worked out as yet; but amongst them are one or two 

 species of Cladonia, and some examples of Lecanora paleacea. 

 Fungi are represented by Agaricus (Fsalliota) arvensis, 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 mariae 

 flora. The larger Algoe in Royal Sound are usually not cast 

 upon the shore by the waves, and I have almost been entirely 

 dependent upon grapples thrown from the rocks for specimens of 

 the more delicate forms. Folysiphonia Sulivana and Rhyti- 

 phloia Gomardii are amongst the novelties. A large number of 

 zoological and botanical specimens have been lost through my 

 inability to attend to them in time without assistance. This has 

 principally affected the number of duplicates ; but in one instance 

 it has led to the loss of a species — one of the Petrels, which was 

 the commonest bird about here when we first arrived. Fortu- 

 nately it is a well-known species. 



The 1st of March is announced as the approximate date of our 

 sailing from Kerguelen's Island. Five weeks later I hope to 



