198 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



as flat as a board. At the last place where we went on 

 shore, to put up a cairn, we were surprised by finding a long 

 narrow tract of fresh water, apparently a mile or two in 

 extent, running parallel with the beach, at a distance of 

 about two hundred yards from it. Behind it was a long 

 flat-topped ridge, about six or eight feet in height, and it was 

 surrounded on all sides by a broad belt of vegetation, of a 

 much greener and more luxuriant character than we had yet 

 seen in eastern Fuegia. Many plants, which had passed out 

 of flower more than a couple of months previously in drier 

 situations, were still in bloom here, including the Geum 

 Magellanicum, Anemone decapetala, Epilohium tetragonum, 

 and a tall, stout, white-flowered Composite plant, common 

 in marshy places in the eastern part of the Strait. A 

 yellow-flowered viscid plant of the same order, apparently a 

 species of Madia, which had not been previously seen else- 

 where, was also procured ; and, in addition to these, around 

 the water's edge there extended a very distinct zone of a 

 common species of Accena, the A. adscendens. I have 

 omitted to mention, up to the present time, what an intoler- 

 able pest we found the hooked achenes of the plants of this 

 genus, abundant in the open country of the Strait, in our 

 excursions — our clothes becoming covered with them, and 

 much time and labour requiring to be expended in detaching 

 them. I well remember the sorry spectacle presented by a 

 large brown retriever, which was our ship's dog for a time, 

 after a day's run over country covered with these obnoxious 

 plants — his tail being one mass of burs, and hardly a hand- 

 breadth of the hair on his body free from the detached achenes. 

 Great numbers of teal were resting on the surface of the 

 water, but speedily took wing, so that only a few were 

 secured, which furnished an agreeable addition to our dinner. 



