370 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



range, apparently only extending from the north, of Yaldivia 

 to the north of Concepcion, a space of between three and four 

 degrees, while Philesia ranges over nearly fifteen. One inter- 

 esting fact with regard to the Copigue, is its extreme hardi- 

 ness, being almost the only plant that can exist in the area 

 covered by the sulphureous smoke of the smelting-furnaces. 

 This was remarked to me by the manager of the Lota Com- 

 pany's works, to whom, as well as to the various officials of 

 the company, w^e were indebted for much attention ; and I 

 verified the observation for myself subsequently, finding speci- 

 mens in a flourishing condition winding around the skeletons 

 of shrubs killed by the smoke. The Chilians sometimes make 

 use of the flowers tor poultices. 



This being the winter season, most of the plants were out 

 of bloom, but I met with several that interested me, including 

 a yellow-flowered Composite, forming a tall shrub {Euxenia) ; 

 another very tall fragrant shrub or low tree, belonging to 

 the order Monimiacece, the "Boldu" of the Chilians (Peumus 

 Boldu) ; and a species of dodder {Cuscuta), known by the 

 name of " Cabellos de Anjel," or angel's hair, which twined over 

 many of the shrubs, and was, I was informed, like the Euro- 

 pean kinds, very destructive to crops. Among the ferns, an 

 Adia7itum, similar to one common at Chiloe, and the widely- 

 distributed Folystichum aculeatum, were specially plentiful, 

 and many plants of Asplenium oUusatum also occurred among 

 the clefts of the rocks above the beach. On the rocks, un- 

 covered by the tide, we found myriads of a small Gasteropod, 

 like a large Rissoa, as well as numbers of a species of Lit- 

 torina, and many examples of Monoceros glabratum, Amyxa 

 niger, and a variety of Chitons, On this and the succeeding 

 day I was much struck with the exquisite beauty and wonder- 

 ful diversity of the Actinice in the rock pools. Their principal 



