200 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



whicli, as the remains of the cartilage which tipped them shows, would 

 have become considerably larger had the owner of the skull reached 

 maturity. The face is distinctly prognathous." 



We rejoined the ship in the course of the afternoon, 

 observing on our way to her several Fuegian fires on that 

 part of the coast visited by us the day before. A number of 

 the natives had been seen from the ship also. Certainly the 

 faculty which these savages possessed, of approaching our 

 tenting-places without being perceived, although a vigilant 

 watch was always maintained by us, was very remarkable. 



On the 17th the weather was unfavourable, and we all 

 remained on board, the '* Nassau," at this time lying at 

 anchor in Philip Bay. On the afternoon of the 18th I 

 landed with Captain Mayne on the coast, a few miles to 

 the north-east of our anchorage. From the summit of a 

 little hill which we ascended we noticed several guanacos 

 at no great distance, with nearly black faces, a peculiarity 

 which we had never remarked in those seen by us in Pata- 

 gonia. In some rock-pools I obtained several small fish (species 

 of Notothenia), and specimens of a tiny red Actinia; and on 

 the beach I found some sponges and many dead shells of 

 a species of Crepidula lying. It was a beautiful, though 

 cold evening, and as we pulled back to the ship we wit- 

 nessed a splendid orange-yellow moonrise. A few minutes 

 before we got on board an owl lighted on one of the boats' 

 davits, and was shot by one of the officers. It was a dif- 

 ferent species from those previously obtained, and possessed 

 beautiful soft mottled-yellow and brown plumage, reminding 

 one of the colouring of a large moth when the rounded wings 

 were expanded. It proved to be the British short-eared owl, 

 Otus hrachyotus, and was the only example of this species 

 that we ever met with in these regions. The same day one 



