THE STKAIT OF MAGELLAN. 85 



feet in height, with the main stem three inches in diameter. 

 The branches are in general much overgrown with mosses 

 and lichens ; the leaves resemble those of the holly ; and the 

 flowers, sometimes nearly as large as cherry-blossoms, are of 

 a splendid orange-yellow hue, verging on flame-colour, and 

 are arranged in corymbs. The month of November seems to 

 be the principal flowering time ; but a second flowering, 

 much more sparse in its character, frequently takes place in 

 the autumnal months of April and May. The berries are of 

 the bluish-purple colour so common in species of the genus, 

 and of an elongated form. They contain large seeds, and 

 are insipid to the taste. The latter species {B. dulcis s. 

 huxifolia), though often met in the outskirts of woods, is 

 equally characteristic of open situations, occurring very 

 plentifully on the plains of Eastern Patagonia, where it is 

 frequently the only shrub to be seen. It forms thick bushes, 

 from three to eight feet high, which often exist in clumps 

 together, affording a good shelter in camping out, and fur- 

 nishing a comfortable lair for the puma and other wild 

 animals. The leaves are much smaller than those of B. 

 ilicifolia, and are generally about the size of, or a little larger 

 than, those of a Box, hence one of the specific names. The 

 young leaves are frequently attacked by a parasitic fungus of 

 a bright orange colour, the uEcidium Magellanicum ; and 

 those in this condition are generally of much larger size than 

 the healthy ones, as well as distorted in form. The flowers are 

 much smaller than those of the holly-leaved species, of a paler 

 yellow tint, and arranged in a more scattered manner. The 

 berries, which are bluish-purple, with a bloom on the surface, 

 and about the size of black currants, possess a flattened 

 spherical form, and a very agreeable sweet taste, with a dash 

 of acid in it. They are justly mentioned with approval by 



