6 Vallentin, Notes on the Falkland Islands. 



of the 23rd, we landed at Hill Cove, and rode about 

 a mile and a half to Mr. Miller's house, where we were 

 kindly entertained till the day following. This morning 

 was most beautiful ; the bright sun, the cloudless 

 sky, and keen fresh air gave new life to us all. It ' 

 was not low-water till 3 p.m., so I started after an early 

 lunch to walk to two little islands, known as Bense 

 Islands, about four miles distant, at the extreme end of 

 the bay. I was agreeably surprised to find the scenery 

 and vegetation on this portion of the Falkland archipelago 

 far more attractive than that in the neighbourhood ot 

 Stanley. The high hills skirting the shore, and the 

 pleasantly green islands covered with Tussac {Dactylis 

 ccespitosd) scattered over Byron Sound looked most 

 beautiful ; while on the main-land the high grass, and still 

 higher Fachina bushes (^Chilabothrium amelloides) gave an 

 agreeable finish to the landscape. On my way from the 

 house the Fachina bushes were at least four feet in height, 

 and presented an almost solid border on either side of the 

 rough track which led to the sea-shore. Over a con- 

 siderable portion of the foreshores I walked with some 

 difficulty owing to the softness of the mud ; but later, 

 the ground became firmer, till on nearing the end of the 

 bay, I got to a sandy beach, and afterwards the firm 

 shingle, and stepped along merrily. Attached to the 

 stones, which were more or less covered by this soft deposit, 

 were quantities of two species of mussels, Mytellus edulis 

 and M. magellaniciis. With these a few Patella (Enea, 

 Siphonaria lessonii, and Photimda expansa were also 

 noticed. Only two dead ' clams ' {Chione exallnda) and 

 broken Volute shells were seen during the whole afternoon. 

 There was a series of most attractive rock-pools left 

 exposed during low-water on the spit of land between the 

 point and the islands. Here the fauna was richer. Besides 



