268 THE ANTARCTIC. 



growing there, possibly the poa flabellata, and that the 

 ground, where free from snow, is partly covered with 

 moss. The flora on the landing place of Cockburn 

 Island, latitude 64° 1 2' S., in Admiralty Sound, has been 

 minutely described by Hooker, the eminent botanist, at 

 that time assistant surgeon on board the Erebus. All in 

 all he found nineteen species, four of which were marine 

 algae, growing- on the beach. The rest consist of three 

 fresh-water plants and twelve land plants. Among the 

 latter those of highest organisation are the mosses, 

 represented by five species ; next come six species of 

 lichens, among which the lecanora miniata is specially 

 noticeable in consequence of its yellow colour, seen from 

 a great distance, and the rest are algae. Compared with 

 this relatively great wealth of species, Cape Adare and 

 Possession Islands appear to great disadvantage, seeing 

 that only one species of lichen has as yet been noticed in 

 those localities. The appalling poverty of the Antarctic 

 regions stands out in glaring light when compared with 

 the plant-life of the Arctic regions, where, as has already 

 been stated above, nine species of flowering plants are 

 found in much higher latitudes, e.g., in Grinnell Land, 

 at 82° 30' N., in the midst of a luxuriant vegetation of 

 mosses, supplying rich pasture for terrestrial mammals. 



Of pre-eminent importance is a certain microscopic 

 plant which occurs in all the high southern latitudes, and 

 fills the sea with individuals absolutely innumerable, 

 closely following the floating ice masses, being probably 

 attracted by the low temperatures there prevailing. They 

 are diatomaceae, siliceous algae, which sometimes fill the 

 sea with a thick rusty-brown pulp of repulsive smell, 

 whose flinty shell, sinking to the bottom, largely con- 

 tributes to the formation of the deep-sea mud in high 

 latitudes. 



On the presence of this minute form of vegetable 

 life is based the existence of the abundant animal life in 



