Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlviii. (1904), No. %% 7 



a considerable increase in the numbers of the above- 

 mentioned species, were quantities of the singular crab, 

 Halicarciniis planatus, and the little crustacean Ectinos- 

 phcera ^igas. A species of Melobesia also fringed these 

 pools, while in their crevices were numbers of worms new 

 to me. Specimens of these were secured and preserved 

 in formalin. The prince of grasses, the Tussac grass 

 {Dactylis cczspitosd), was quite high on the islands, and I 

 had some difficulty in forcing my way through its dense 

 growth. I did not find any nests either here or during 

 my return to the house. This rather astonished me for 

 birds were most abundant. 



The gardens in this portion of the Falklands are far 

 more fertile than those elsewhere on this archipelago. This 

 is partly due to the greater depth of soil, but chiefly to the 

 vegetable fibre formed by the decaying Tussac. I observed 

 the usual garden vegetables flourishing in the cultivated 

 ground round Mr. Miller's house, but they were all 

 enclosed by high thick hedges of furze {Ulex europceus) 

 which protected the tender plants from the furious winds. 

 The soil in this cultivated spot had to be treated very 

 generously before vegetables fit for table purposes could 

 be raised. By spreading over the land from time to time 

 vast quantities of refuse from the boiling-down establish- 

 ment at Hill Cove, Mr. Miller has been able to cultivate 

 successfully vegetables which it would have been quite 

 impossible otherwise to have produced. 



[ managed during my visit to make a fairly exhaustive 

 examination of the littoral fauna exposed during low-water 

 in the various creeks and inlets which are scattered along 

 this section of the coast. The sandstone cliffs fringing the 

 ocean, and varying from 50 to 100 feet or more in height, 

 effectually prevent any continuous stretch of shore being 

 left bare by the tide. On these occasions, during shore 



