THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 131 



this species, remarks that "at the Falkland Islands they 

 live in pairs and in small flocks throughout the interior of 

 the island, being rarely or never found on the sea-coast, and 

 seldom even near fresh-water lakes" — an observation from 

 which my experience widely differs, as I never saw them 

 either at the Falkland Islands or in the Strait, at any con- 

 siderable distance from the sea ; and I frequently observed 

 them on the banks of small lakes of salt and fresh water. 

 Possibly this discrepancy may have resulted from their having 

 been noticed at different periods of the year. 



After spending a short time at the edge of the small 

 lake above mentioned, where I found a yellow-flowered 

 Boraginaceous plant, new to me, we re-embarked, and skirted 

 eastwards along the coast for some distance, a breeze 

 springing up before long, and gradually freshening. At 

 noon we landed on the lee of a long, low, gravelly spit, on 

 which a number of black and white oyster-catchers were 

 settled, but which took wing before we had time to get a 

 shot at them. A fire was here kindled with some trouble ; 

 and while the boat's crew's dinner was getting ready, we 

 investigated the neighbourhood, finding, as usual, numerous 

 boards and spars scattered about, as well as a signal -post 

 formed of a piece of plank nailed to a small mast planted 

 firmly in the ground, and probably erected by shipwrecked 

 sailors to attract the attention of passing vessels. As the 

 breeze was rapidly freshening up into a gale. Captain Mayne 

 judged it best for us to remain where we were till the 

 weather moderated. The boat was accordingly hauled up, 

 and a suitable locality selected for our camp. After this we 

 ascended a low hill, where it was thought desirable to take 

 some observations ; but on reaching the summit, we found 

 that it was blowing so violently as to render work impossible. 



