104 Plant of New South Wales. 



pound; the small branches, that appear along its sides, being 

 scarcely any thing more than an expansion of the common 

 receptacle — whereas in B. lunaria, the spike is "twice or 

 thrice compound." Also, in the capsules being twice as 

 large, and the plant half as large. If I am correct, there- 

 fore, this species will take its place as the first under the 

 genus ; all the other Botrychia having compound fronds. 



Art. V. — Description of a new species of Usnea, from New 

 South Shetland; by John Torrey, M. D. of New- 

 York, {zoith a drawing.) 



TO PROFESSOR SILLIMAN. 



Sir, 



The following account of a new cryptogamic plant from 

 New South Shetland, with an explanatory letter from Dr. 

 Mitchili, I send for insertion in your valuable Journal. 



Letter from Dr. S. L. Mitchill, to John Torrey, M. D. 



New-York, July 1, 1822. 

 My Dear Sir, 



Among the subjects of rational attention at this time, is 

 the land lately found, and now much frequented, beyond 

 Cape Horn. 



Having received from several of my friends, who have 

 visited that antartic region, articles of a zoological and min- 

 eralogical kind, which they had brought home, I was nat- 

 urally induced to inquire for botanical productions. In an- 

 swer, I was informed that, notwithstanding the frequency of 

 lava and volcanic slag, and the occasional eruption of smoke 

 from the earth in different places, the surface was generally 

 covered with ice and snow, even during the southern sum- 

 mer. There is not a shrub, nor a tree to be seen ; nor any 

 appearance of verdure to cheer the prospect. 



Captain Napier however improved the opportunity of ex- 

 amining a rock upon an island of the group called New 



