286 CHONOS ARCHIPELAGO. [chap, xitx 



mountains of central Chile, where a drop of rain does not fall for 

 more than six months, and within the damp forests of these 

 southern islands. 



In the central parts of the Chonos Archipelago (lat. 45°), the 

 forest has very much the same character with that along- the 

 whole west coast, for 600 miles southward to Cape Horn. The 

 arborescent grass of Chiloe is not found here ; while the beech of 

 Tierra del Fuego grows to a good size, and forms a considerable 

 proportion of the wood ; not, however, in the same exclusive 

 manner as it does farther southward. Cryptogamic plants here 

 find a most congenial climate. In the Strait of Magellan, a 

 I have before remarked, the country appears too cold and we. 

 to allow of their arriving at perfection ; but in these islands, 

 within the forest, the number of species and great abundance of 

 mosses, lichens, and small ferns, is quite extraordinary.* In 

 Tierra del Fuego trees grow only on the hill-sides ; every level 

 piece of land being invariably covered by a thick bed of peat ; 

 but in Chiloe flat land supports the most luxuriant forests. Here, 

 within the Chonos Archipelago, the nature of the climate more 

 closely approaches that of Tierra del Fuego than that of north- 

 ern Chiloe ; for every patch of level ground is covered by two 

 species of plants (Astelia pumila and Donatia magellanica), 

 which by their joint decay compose a thick bed of elastic peat. 



In Tierra del Fuego, above the region of woodland, the for- 

 mer of these eminently sociable plants is the chief agent in the 

 production of peat. Fresh leaves are always succeeding one to 

 the other round the central tap-root ; the lower ones soon decay, 

 and in tracing a root downwards in the peat, the leaves, yet hold- 

 ing their place, can be observed passing through every stage of 

 decomposition, till the whole becomes blended in one confused 

 mass. The Astelia is assisted by a few other plants, — here and 

 there a small creeping Myrtus (M. nummularia), with a woody 

 stem like our cranberry and with a sweet berry, — an Empetrum 

 (E. rubrum), like our heath, — a rush (Juncus grand irlorus), are 

 yearly the only ones that grow on the swampy surface. These 

 plants, though possessing a very close general resemblance to 



* By sweeping -with my insect-net, I procured from these situations a 

 considerable number of minute insects, of the family of Staphylinida?, and 

 others allied to Pselaphus, and minute Hymenoptera. But the most cha- 

 racteristic family in number, both of ii dividuals and species, throughout th« 

 more open parts of Chiioe and Chonos is that of the Telephoriduj, 



