266 NATUEAL HISTORY OF 



was new to us. I, however, succeeded in procuring two 

 additional plants from the immediate neighbourhood of the 

 mine — one a Composite, the other a low under-shrub, a 

 species, I believe, of Myginda, On the evening of the same 

 day a very fine specimen of Lithodes antardica (now exhi- 

 bited in one of the galleries in the British Museum) was 

 brought up on a fishing-line. The remaining few days of our 

 stay at the settlement were principally occupied in writing 

 letters, to be left behind us to await the arrival of any vessel 

 which might chance to pass through the Strait ; and on the 

 afternoon of the 27th we left the settlement, and, proceeding 

 northwards, anchored under Cape Porpesse three hours later. 

 From our situation we could perceive the tent of a shooting 

 party, consisting of four of the officers who had left us some 

 days previously to try their luck with the geese on Elizabeth 

 Island; but by this time it was blowing so hard that we 

 scarcely expected them to join us that evening. They, 

 however, took advantage of a temporary lull in the wind to 

 embark, and got on board about ten p.m., next morning de- 

 spatching a boat for their spoils, which included upwards of 

 one hundred and eighty geese {Chloephaga Magellanica), 

 several dozen of ducks (Anas cristata), some oyster-catchers 

 {Hcematopus palliatus), and last, though certainly not least, 

 three swans. That day it was blowing so hard as to compel 

 us to remain at anchor, and the vessel presented much the 

 appearance of a poulterer's shop, from the long lines of geese 

 and ducks hanging up in all directions. We had geese for 

 dinner every day for about a fortnight afterwards, by which 

 time most of us were heartily tired of the diet, and felt as if 

 we would never wish to taste these birds again. The swans 

 belonged to two distinct species, two of them being examples 

 of the Cygnus nigricollis, with white body-plumage and black 



