THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 175 



Among the other plants which were conspicuous on this 

 occasion were the holly-leaved barberry ; theUmpetruinrubrwii, 

 forming clumps nearly two feet high, and bearing red and 

 purplish-black berries in nearly equal abundance ; and a great 

 fern, the Lomaria Boryana, with a thick scaly stem sometimes 

 exceeding two feet in height, bearing at its summit a crown 

 of radiating, stout, leathery, pinnate leaves, sometimes exceed- 

 ing two feet in length by more than six inches in width. 

 This last, which abounds throughout the damp region of 

 Patagonia and northern Fuegia, often imparts a semi-tropical 

 appearance to the forests on the steep mountain-sides, and it 

 is not surprising that it should have been mistaken for a small 

 species of palm by some of the older navigators * I also 

 found two beautiful species of Hymenophyllum, a pretty 

 little Asplenmm (A. Magellanicum), and a GleicJienia (G. 

 acutifolia). 



Animal life was but poorly represented, the list of Verte- 

 brata being summed up by a few steamer and brown ducks in 

 the water of the harbour, a solitary specimen of a hawk, and 

 a rather large kingfisher, which last was fortunately shot by 

 one of the party. Two species of insects were captured — one 

 a large dragonfly, and the other an orange humble-bee of 

 considerable size {Bombus Dahlbornii), which appears to be 

 not uncommon in these parts ; and the dredge yielded many 

 dead specimens of Terebratella Magellanica, a Pecten (P. Pata- 

 gonicus), and some pretty branching N'ullipores. 



On the 12 th, the weather still continuing unfavourable, 

 we remained at anchor. During the greater part of the day 

 there was a succession of violent squalls, accompanied with 

 showers of sleet, though now and then brief gleams of sun- 



* It is well described as "nova especie de palma" in the Ultimo Viage al 

 Estrecho de Magallanes de la Fregata de S. M. Santa Maria de la Caheza, etc. etc. 



