1834.] TIERRA DEL FUEGO AND THE WEST COAST. 243 
the pole than Port. Famine!* Inhospitable as this climate 
appears to our feelings, evergreen trees flourish luxuriantly under 
it. Humming-birds may be seen sucking the flowers, and parrots 
feeding on the seeds of the Winter’s Bark, in lat.55° S. I have 
already remarked to what a degree the sea swarms with living 
creatures ; and the shells (such as the Patella, Fissurelle, Chitons, 
and Barnacles), according to Mr. G. B. Sowerby, are of a much 
larger size, and of a more vigorous growth, than the analogous 
species in the northern hemisphere. A large Voluta is abundant 
in southern Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. At 
Bahia Blanca, in Jat 39° S., the most abundant shells were three 
species of Oliva (one of large size), one or two Volutas, and a 
Terebra. Now these are amongst the best characterised tropical 
forms. It is doubtful whether even one small species of Oliva 
exists on the southern shores of Europe, and there are no species of 
the two other genera. Ifa geologist were to find in Jat. 39° on 
the coast of Portugal, a bed containing numerous shells belonging 
to three species of Oliva, to a Voluta and Terebra, he would 
probably assert that the climate at the period of their existence 
must have been tropical; but judging from South America, such 
an inference might be erroneous. 
The equable, humid, and windy climate of Tierra del Fuego 
extends, with only a small increase of heat, for many degrees 
along the west coast of the continent. ‘The forests, for 600 
miles northward of Cape Horn, have a very similar aspect. As 
a proof of the equable climate, even for 300 or 400 miles still 
farther northward, I may mention that in Chiloe (corresponding 
in Jatitude with the northern parts of Spain) the peach seldom 
produces fruit, whilst strawberries and apples thrive to perfec- 
tion. Even the crops of barley and wheat ¢ are often brought 
into the houses to be dried and ripened. At Valdivia (in the 
same latitude of 40°, with Madrid) grapes and figs ripen, but are 
not comfhon; olives seldom ripen even partially, and oranges 
* With respect to Tierra del Fuego, the results are deduced from the 
observations by Capt. King (Geographical Journal, 1830), and those taken 
on board the Beagle. For the Falkland Islands, I am indebted to Capt. 
Sulivan for the mean of the mean temperature (reduced from carefal ob- 
servation at midnight, 8 a.M., noon, and 8 p.m.) of the three hottest mouths, 
viz. December, January, and February. The temperature of Dublin is 
taken from Barton. 
+ Agiieros, Descrip. Hist. de la Prov. de Chiloé, 1791, p. 
R 
