THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 63 



and the west coast of both Americas ; 2dly, on the currents, 

 for when north of the influence of the uniform westerly 

 movement of the waters in the Antarctic Ocean, it is de- 

 flected with their courses, and carried, while temperature 

 allows, to whatever seas receive these waters. Thus, the 

 South Polar current divides at Cape Horn, one portion fol- 

 lowing the west coast of South America to Cape Blanco and 

 the Galapagos Islands under the equator, conveying the 

 Macrocystis with it, which then enters the cold waters which 

 flow from the Arctic Islands of the Pacific, and over whose 

 entire surface it is spread, reaching Kamtschatka, N"ew Cali- 

 fornia, and the Aleutian Islands ; so that in the longitude of 

 Western America the Macrocystis ranges from the Arctic to 

 the Antarctic Circle. The eastern branch of the Cape Horn 

 current passes between the Falkland Island and Fuegia, 

 conveying vast masses of this seaweed 200 miles north of the 

 Palklands, as low as the 44th degree, and some even reaching 

 the Plate river in 35°, its northern limits in the Western 

 Atlantic. Farther west in the Antarctic Ocean its distribu- 

 tion is less known ; but, since it does not occur far north of 

 the Cape of Good Hope in that meridian, we may conclude 

 that it ceases about the 34th degree. With regard to the 

 South African habitat, it is difficult to account for so vast a 

 quantity as the Agulhas Bank exhibits, for these w^aters, 130 

 miles in breadth, flowing with a rapid stream from the IST.E. 

 or Indian Ocean, literally swarm with Macrocystis, which 

 possibly is taken up from the westerly Polar current (which 

 flows along the parallel of 45° S.) by the Indian (or IT.E.) 

 current in question." 



It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to remark, after the pre- 

 ceding observations, that "kelp" continues to grow long 

 after it is detached from its parent bed ; and I need not say 



