THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 229 



were cultivated, including a Euphorbiaceous slirub, with 

 a whorl of five or six bracts about three inches long, and 

 of a vivid scarlet or crimson colour, subtending the yellowish 

 flowers, a species of a Plumieria noticed on our former visit, 

 but now almost out of bloom, and a creeper with a light blue 

 corolla about an inch in diameter, and which covered trellis- 

 work, together with a variety of brilliant-flowered Malvaceae. 

 On the hill-sides the commonest plants were species of Com- 

 positse, including a small Zinnia and an Ageratum ; and a 

 pretty orange-coloured fungus, of the genus Poly^porus, was 

 abundant on dead twigs. I also found some pods of a Legumi- 

 nous plant, from six to seven inches long by an inch broad. 

 One of the first places visited was a sort of waste garden, 

 partially surrounded by hedges, in which a species of Lantana 

 predominated, my companions, who were zealous butterfly- 

 hunters, being attracted by the variety of gorgeous insects 

 flitting about the flowers ; but as we were loudly vociferated 

 at by the proprietor, and a female myrmidon, we thought it 

 advisable to evacuate the premises. Towards the close of 

 the afternoon, after a considerable amount of time occupied 

 at an orange stall, we returned to the neighbourhood of the 

 landing-place, and awaited the arrival of our boat, listening 

 to the cicadas and other insects, which, wakening up at sun- 

 set, filled the air with their notes. A small species of Hippo- 

 campns {H. guttulatns) was caught on this day, by one of the 

 officers who had remained on board. 



On the 3d I crossed over to the city (San Sebastian), with 

 one of the officers, in a ferry-boat, and we spent some hours 

 walking about the streets, and visiting the public garden and 

 market. The former of these, which I have shortly described 

 on our former visit, became a favourite resort to us when we 

 had a spare hour to fill up, one of the great objects of in- 



