THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 53 



directions. A few Coleoptera were picked up, but insect life 

 did not appear to be abundant. I overtook the sportsmen 

 before they reached the lake, and while we halted for luncheon 

 inspected their spoils, which consisted of two species of Fal- 

 conidae, one of them a handsome harrier (the Circus macrop- 

 terus) ; some fly-catchers, including a species with a very long 

 tail ; the Xanthornus fiavus, many of which we saw flying 

 about, a turtle-dove, and a young partridge {Noihura major f). 

 Pursuing our way for some distance farther, we at length 

 reached the lake, the edges of which were defined by a broad 

 belt of tall-growing rushes. Here but few birds were either seen 

 or obtained (a brownish-black /&^s, a single specimen of which 

 was shot, is the only species recorded in my journal) ; but by 

 dint of wading about among the reeds, I succeeded in procur- 

 ing a few additional botanical treasures, including another 

 species of Utricularia, a Riccia, etc., as well as some dead 

 shells of a large species of Ampullaria (A. fasciatd), together 

 with clusters of its beautiful rose-coloured eggs attached to the 

 rushes. N'ot far from the lake, on some sandy ground, I also met 

 with a Solanum (I rather think one of the numerous wild forms 

 of our potato, S. tuberosum), and a Malvaceous plant, with pros- 

 trate stems and beautiful purple-hearted flowers. As the 

 afternoon was now wearing on, we decided on " maldng tracks" 

 homewards, and descended to the beach after a while. Numbers 

 of dead shells were lying about, but, for the most part, much 

 worn and broken. I, however, picked up a tolerable speci- 

 men of the Voluta colocyntliis, which appears to be not un- 

 common about Maldonado, as numerous live specimens were 

 subsequently procured there by the officers of H.M.S. 

 " Narcissus," several of whom were gifted with strong natural- 

 history tastes. I also found the cranium of a large seal (pro- 

 bably a species of Otaria) lying above high-water mark. 



