78 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



who went on shore in the morning to take sights, brought off 

 with them, on their return to the ship, a nest with eggs, which 

 they found in a hollow in a sandy bank. In the afternoon a 

 small party of us landed, and had an agreeable walk through 

 the forest at the back of the settlement. Its general aspect re- 

 minded us in many respects of our own familiar English woods, 

 with the exception that there was a greater preponderance 

 of prostrate trunks and erect whitened skeletons. The prevail- 

 ing tree was the antarctic beech {Fagus antardico), but an ever- 

 green species of the same genus {F. 5e^^^/o^c?es), which occurs much 

 more plentifully farther west in the Strait, and the Winter's- 

 bark tree, were also present. The accompanying sketch may 

 assist in giving the reader some idea of the foliage of the 

 three trees, which I shall here briefly notice. The first, or an- 

 tarctic beech, which forms the mass of the woods from where 

 the wooded country begins for some distance to the westward 

 of Port Famine, is a very beautiful tree, frequently attaining 

 very large dimensions, both as regards height and girth. 

 Its method of branching is considerably different from that of 

 our native beech, and its bark likewise differs in having a 

 rough instead of a smooth surface. Young trees growing by 

 themselves on the outskirts of the woods present frequently a 

 most graceful appearance when lit up by the sun's rays, and 

 often reminded me in their habit of growth of a cedar. 

 The leaves are rather small, being seldom more than an 

 inch in length, of an oblong-ovate form, with rounded 

 teeth at the margin, and their surface is rougher than that 

 of the British beech. The tint of the foliage, though not 

 of that delicate tender green shade which is the glory of our 

 beeches in spring, is very beautiful, and the autumnal 

 tints on the fading leaves are fine, varying from golden 

 yellow to a rich reddish brown. The beech-nuts are very 



