180 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



refer, it is widely distributed on the west coast of South 

 America, extending as far north as Central Chili ; and " it 

 has found its way over to the Falkland Islands, where, 

 instead of inhabiting forests, it frequents the coarse herbage 

 and low bushes, which in most parts conceal the peaty 

 surface of that island." Several steamer-ducks and teal were 

 shot, and a considerable number of fish of the same species 

 obtained at Port Famine were taken in the seine, together 

 with a single example of a Trachinoid form of most for- 

 bidding appearance. This fish, the Aphritis gobio, was first 

 described by Dr. Gunther, about ten years ago, from a 

 specimen in the British Museum, procured by Captain 

 King at Port Famine. It has a large broad head, and 

 presents a most ferocious aspect when captured, opening- 

 its wide mouth, and erecting its fins and an orbital tentacle 

 situated at the back of each eye. It is of a dusky-brown 

 colour above, variegated with orange-yellow on the sides. 

 The under parts are likewise orange-yellow ; and on each 

 side, below the lateral line, there is a row of branched 

 cutaneous appendages attached to the under surface of the 

 scales. 



"We left Port Gallant on the morning of the 15th, 

 pursuing our easterly course, and, as we rounded Cape 

 Froward, met H.M.S. " Eeindeer " proceeding in the opposite 

 direction. In the evening we reached Sandy Point, where 

 we found the Chilian war-steamer " Concepcion" lying ; and 

 next morning I landed, with several other members of our 

 party, and spent the day on shore. We found the river 

 greatly swollen with recent rains, and the open gTOund in 

 many places was swampy, and abounded in mushrooms. 

 This cosmopolitan Agaric we afterwards met with in many 

 localities, both in Patagonia and north-eastern Fuegia, and 



