02<3 GIANT SEA- WEED. 



by Captain Cook. The geographical range is very consider. 

 able ; it is found from the extreme southern islets near Cape 

 Horn, as far north, on the eastern coast (according to informa- 

 tion given me by Mr. Stokes) as lat. 43° — and on the western it 

 was tolerably abundant, but far from luxuriant, at Chiloe, in 

 lat. 42°. It may possibly extend a little further northward, but 

 is soon succeeded by different species. We thus have a range 

 of 15° in latitude ; and as Cook, who must have been well ac- 

 quainted with the species, found it at Kerguelen Land, no less 

 than 140° in longitude. 



" The number of living creatures, of all orders* whose 

 existence intimately depends on that of the kelp, is wonderful. 

 A great volume might be written, describing the inhabitants of 

 one of these beds of sea-weeds. Almost every leaf, excepting 

 those that float on the surface, is so thickly incrusted with coral- 

 lines as to be of a white color. We find exquisitely delicate 

 structures, some inhabited by simple hydro-like polypi, others by 

 more organized kinds, and beautiful compound Ascidiae. On the 

 flat surfaces of the leaves, various patelliform shells, Trochi, un- 

 covered molluscs, and some bivalves are attached. Innumerable 

 Crustacea frequent every part of the plant. On shaking the 

 great entangled roots, a pile of small fish, shells, cuttle-fish, 

 crabs of all orders, sea-eggs, star-fish, beautiful Holuthurise 

 (some taking the external form of the nudi-branch molluscs), 

 Planariae, and crawling nereidous animals, of a multitude of 

 forms, all fall out together. 



" I can only compare these great aquatic forests of the 

 southern atmosphere with the terrestrial ones in the inter- 

 tropical regions. Yet, if the latter should be destroyed in any 

 country, I do not believe nearly so many species of animals 

 would perish, as, under similar circumstances, would happen 

 with the kelp. Amidst the leaves of this plant, numerous 

 species of fish live, which nowhere else would find food or 

 shelter ; with their destruction, the many cormorants, divers, 

 and other fishing birds, the otters, seals, and porpoises, would 

 soon perish also ; and lastly the Fuegian savage, the miserable 

 lord of this miserable land, would redouble his cannibal feast, 

 decrease in numbers, and perhaps cease to exist." 



