MOLINEUX SOUND 179 



much more open, less wooded, and not nearly so 

 mountainous. One small valley in the immediate 

 vicinity of the harbour was occupied by a chain of 

 reed-girt lakes, rising one above the other like a 

 series of lochs. On each side of the valley the 

 gentle slopes of the hills were covered with shrubs 

 and low beech trees. 



Though this appeared to be an ideal place for 

 land-birds, we met with very few, and these 

 were of two species only a large hawk,* and a 

 pair of the Magellan thrushes. The scarcity of 

 animal life on the shores of Smythe's Channel 

 has been previously mentioned by Captain 

 Macfarlane.| Sea-birds were, however, fairly 

 numerous, cormorants being the most abundant, 

 though steamer-ducks were not uncommon. We 

 here saw a brood of downy ducklings of this 

 species, which, though apparently not many days 

 old, scudded away over the water at such speed 

 that, although my boat was rowed by six men, 

 we were unable with all our exertions to get within 

 shot. The ducklings were accompanied by their 

 parents, which swam round the boat, quacking 

 in alarm, but they kept well out of shot, and only 

 occasionally showed themselves above the water. 

 Most of the time during which they were sub- 

 merged their bills were visible above the surface 

 of the water. 



The steamer-ducks appear always to frequent 



* Milvago chimango. f <?/ " Ibis," 1887, p. 201. 



