4 Vallentin, Notes on the Falkland Islands. 



One can always find in every ' stone-run ' islets of vegeta- 

 tion varying in extent placed close to or some little distance 

 from the edge. In those islets where the separation has 

 been recent, the various plants of ' diddle-dee ' {Einpetrutn 

 rubrum) and fachina bushes {Chilabothrium ainelloides) 

 appear to be flourishing ; but in examples farther removed 

 from the edge of the ' stone-run ' and where the separation 

 has taken place long ago, the sole survivor will be a large 

 balsam-hog {Bolax glebaria), which owing to its long 

 tapering root piercing the soil far beneath, has been able 

 to obtain sufficient nourishment to keep it alive when all 

 its neighbours have perished. Without much trouble one 

 can find on every large * stone-run ' these islets in all stages 

 of formation. The fact of the lichens being so abundant on 

 the upper rocks and gradually decreasing both in numbers 

 and luxuriance as one passes to the foot of every ' stone- 

 run ' seems to me unquestionable evidence that the rocks 

 have been laid bare gradually as the surrounding land has 

 been removed by the elements. 



There was one rather curious feature I observed at 

 Port Louis relating to the burrowing habits of the ' ship- 

 worm '( 7Vr<?^(!7 /^/^w^/a). Although wood is very scarce 

 in this region, there being no trees on the Falkland archi- 

 pelago, and only a few slight scattered piers near the 

 wool-sheds ; yet, on placing a piece of timber in the sea 

 for a short time anywhere round these islands it soon 

 becomes riddled with the borings of this destructive 

 mollusk. I can only suggest that quantities of free 

 swimming larvae of this species are wafted thither by the 

 current from Cape Horn, where dense forests abound, and 

 where vessels when at anchor in the many estuaries nearly 

 always haul up with their anchors pieces of wood of 

 varying sizes infested with Teredo paluinata. In front of 

 Mr. Facke's wool-shed was one of the usual light landing- 



