Baa tos 4 
Fe . “7 Dal _ @ 4g ™ 9 . * 2s +. 0. 
a n~ Ad y) lees . , - oe 4 5 . be ee 
dealt MYON Bor ge, Yhy d ye y= 7 Fick 
ye TON ’ ) A y 
_ The Falkland Islands are densely covered with lofty 
grasses which have extended themselves over immense layers 
of peat. | ? 
_ .. The vegetation of the basaltic Kerguelen’s Land, like 
that of the Falkland Islands, consists of a few Grasses inter- 
mixed with tufts of an Umbellifer. There are no woody 
plants. The most interesting species is the ‘Kerguelen’s 
land cabbage,’ a Crucifer, Pringlea antiscorbutica [ differing 
from most of the Cruciferse of Europe by being mostly wind- 
fertilised]. 
In the extreme southern latitudes south winds laden © 
with snow alternate with northerly currents of air saturated  _ 
with aqueous vapour, and perpetual white fogs of unparal- 
leled density spread over the surface of the sea. These fogs 
are formed also on the islands which lie near this zone, 
almost entirely depriving them of the rays of the sun. Both 
Botanical Geography. aa 461 2 
flora and fauna are extremely scanty. .The remarkable 
difference between the climates of the two polar zones depends — 
on the great excess of water in the extreme southern latitudes, 
on the consequent cloudy sky, and on the masses of icebergs 
which break loose in the summer, and, in melting, reduce 
the temperature of the better part of the year. Butin these 
- southern latitudes, where life is now so scanty, there was 
once a warmer prehistoric epoch ; for, like the extinct forests~_ 
of Greenland, the evidence of well-preserved fossil stems — 
proves that a luxuriant arborescent vegetation once inhabited 
Kergueien’s Land. 
: 
_ 
