THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 427 



large number of the curious Callorhynchtts australis, and 

 several Torpedos (a species of Discopyge, I believe), which 

 inflicted severe electric shocks on those who handled them. 

 A single specimen of a very remarkable iish of the family 

 TrachypteridcB was likewise taken — viz. the Trachypterus 

 altivelis, previously known from a single specimen in the 

 Vienna Museum, which was captured at Valparaiso. The 

 body of this fish is so much compressed from side to side 

 as to resemble a knife -blade in thinness, and is covered 

 with minute silvery scales, and the dorsal and caudal fins, 

 like those of the other species of the genus, are of very 

 peculiar form. 



The 9th was also a beautiful day, but it was still blowing 

 hard outside, and accordingly, after a fruitless attempt to 

 make headway, we returned to the bay to remain for the day, 

 and a large party, of which I formed one, landed early, and 

 passed some very pleasant hours on shore. On the sandy 

 beach, where a stream ran into the sea, I found a very rich 

 deposit of magnetic iron ore, and, above high-water mark, 

 a blue-flowered species of Sorema and a Euphorbia were 

 growing luxuriantly. The hills also yielded me a consider- 

 able variety of plants. The Tigridia obtained at Lota was 

 exceedingly common in many places, and communicated a 

 most beautiful appearance to the banks. Its petals were, 

 however, unfortunately so exceedingly fugacious, that I did 

 not succeed in preserving any of the flowers. An Einbothrium 

 {E. lanceolatum) formed a tall shrub, loaded with briUiant 

 scarlet flowers. It is a handsomer species than the E. 

 coccineum, which I did not meet with to the north of Chiloe. 

 Among the other plants met with were a tall Lauraceous 

 shrub, with viscid leaves ; several CoinpositcB that were new 

 to me ; a small purple (Enothera, Pasithea ccervlea, the Chilian 



