422 THE ANTARCTIC MANUAL. 
opportunity. Assistant-Surgeon Holmes made several excursions on 
the largest island, of which he gives the following account. 
“T found it very thickly covered with trees in its less elevated parts. 
As few of them were of any size, I found no small difficulty in pene- 
trating and making my way through them: in many places it was 
absolutely impossible. It was only after a long and fatiguing walk 
that I succeeded in reaching the summit of that part of the island 
near which the brig was anchored, where I found the trees less numerous. 
A thick growth of underwood and dwarf bushes, intermixed with ferns, 
concealed the surface, rendering it difficult to walk. Even on the places 
apparently most level the ground was very unequal, and a single step 
would sometimes send me nearly up to the neck into a hollow filled with 
large fern fronds. On the highest parts the small level spots were 
covered only with moss and a description of tall grass, and in places 
also a kind of grain grew abundantly. The ground was dry every- 
where, all the water being found in the streams, which were numerous 
and pure. Near the summit the ground was perforated in all direc- 
AUCKLAND ISLES. 
tions, probably by birds, who rear their young in these holes. Many 
of the birds, principally procellaria, were sitting on the ground; they 
made no effort to escape, but suffered themselves to be taken without 
any attempt at resistance. 
“The forest was full of small birds, of three or four different species, 
which were perfectly fearless; one little fellow alighted on my cap as 
I was sitting under a tree, and sang long and melodiously: another 
and still smaller species, of a black colour spotted with yellow, was 
numerous, and sang very sweetly; its notes were varied, but approxi- 
mated more nearly to the song of our blackbird ; occasionally a note 
or two resembled the lark. Hawks, too, were numerous, and might be 
seen on almost all the dead trees, in pairs. Along the sea-coast were 
to be seen the marks of their ravages upon the smaller birds. The sea- 
birds were very numerous on the opposite side of the island, setting 
upon the cliffs or hovering over the islet.” 
On the western side of the Auckland Island the under-brush and 
young trees are exceedingly thick. Dr. Holmes remarks that it was 
impossible to penetrate; that he was occupied fully an hour in making 
