XVII. THE PATAGONIA REGION.

EXTENT. In the vicinity of Conception, a change takes place in the character of the vegetation, and in the climate; trecs commence, and heavy rains are exchanged for the peculiar climate of Chili and Peru. An imaginary line, commencing on the west coast, in 36° S. latitude, and extending obliquely to Port San Antonio, on the opposite side, separates the southern extremity of the continent, and with the adjacent islands constitutes the region.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERS.-The Andes have now lost their stupendous size, and are continued as an inferior mountain range, of an average elevation of 3,000 feet, rarely or never attaining 6,000 feet, and their appearance is wild, bleak, and desolate. Primitive rocks abound, and granite greatly prevails; towards the Straits of Magellan are various hornblendes and slates, and the latter appear favourable to vegetation, for fagus antarctica attains on it a great size, whilst a reddish sandstone is barren.

CLIMATE.-Moist and unfriendly for the latitude; the number of rainy days is very great, and a thoroughly fine one is rather a novelty. Though the temperature is not in extremes, still the summer months are chilly. For the month of May, in the vicinity of Cape Horn, the mean temperature was 40°, the range from 30 to 48°, and very equable through the day and night; the fall of rain eight inches; dew-point 2° or 3° below the atmosphere, the greatest being 7° or 8°; hail frequent, with the temperature from 42° to 48°. About Conception the climate is more agreeable, the temperature warmer, and the rain falls at regular seasons.

FLORA.-Irregular groups of wood cover the surface, wherever the climate is moderate, and there is a mitigation of its general austerity. The chief trees are assembled about Conception, and somewhat to the south is the principal station of auraucaria imbricata. Among these are fagus obliqua, laurus lingui, laurelia aromatica, drymis chilensis, quadria heterophylla. At Tierra del Fuego and Staten Land, fagus antarctica, an evergreen species, is frequent, and, assisted by others of a similar habit, gives a peculiar character to the scenery. Forster, the companion of Cook, has described with some quaintness the general features. "In the cavities and crevices of the huge piles of rocks, forming Tierra del Fuego and Staten Land, so very like each other, where a little moisture is preserved by its situation, and where, from the continued friction of the loose pieces of rocks, washed and hurried down the steep sides of the rocky masses, a few minute particles form a kind of sand; there, in the stagnant water, gradually spring up a few algaceous plants from seeds carried thither on the feet, plumage, and bills of birds; these plants form at the end of each season a few atoms of mould which yearly increases; the birds, the sea, or the wind carries from a neighbouring isle, the seeds of some of the mossy plants to this little mould, and they vegetate in it during the proper seasons. Though these plants are not absolute mosses, they are, however, nearly related to them in their habit. We reckon among them the ixia pumila, a new plant which we call donatia, a small melanthium, a minute oxalis and calendula, another little dioicous plant, called by us phyllachne, together with the mniarum. These plants, or the greater part of them, have a peculiar growth, particularly adapted to these regions, and fit for forming soil and mould on barren rocks. In proportion as they grow

up, they spread into various stems and branches, which lie as closely together as possible; they spread new seeds, and at last a large spot is covered; the lowermost fibres, roots, stalks, and leaves, gradually decay and push forth on the top new verdant leaves; the decaying lower parts form a kind of peat or turf, which gradually changes into mould and soil. The close texture of these plants hinders the moisture below from evaporating, and thus furnishes nutriment to the vegetation above, and clothes at last whole hills and isles with a constant verdure. Among the pumilous plants some of a greater stature begin to thrive, without in the least prejudicing the growth of these creators of mould and soil. Among these plants we reckon a small arbutus, a diminutive myrtle, a little dandelion, a small creeping crassula, the common pinguicula alpina, a yellow variety of viola palustris, statice armeria or sea-pink, a kind of burnet, the ranunculus lapponicus, the holcus odoratus, the common celery, (apium australe,) with the arabis heterophylla. Soon after we observed, in places which are still covered with the above-mentioned, a new rush, (juncus triglumis,) a fine amellus, a most beautiful scarlet chelone, (C. ruelloides,) and lastly even shrubby plants, viz.. a scarlet-flowered shrubby plant of a new genus, which we called embothrium coccineum, two new kinds of berberry, (berberis ilicifolia, b. mitior,) an arbutus with cuspidate leaves, (A. mucronata,) and lastly the tree bearing the winter's bark, (drymis winteri,) which, however, in these rocky barren parts of Tierra del Fuego never exceeds the size of a tolerable shrub; whereas in Success Bay, on a gentle sloping ground, in a rich and deep soil, it grows to the size of the largest timber.” Many of Forster's new names have now become as fa

miliar as household words to the botanist. lichens abound here, but ferns are scarce.

Mosses and

The flora of the Falkland Islands is scanty, being composed chiefly of a few compositæ, gramineæ, lichens, and musci. Bolax glebaria is found here, and veronica decussata as a shrub six feet high, but not fit for firewood, the deficiency of which is met by peat, which, Weddel says, is abundant.

The South Shetlands have only some straggling grass and a lichen.

RELATIONS. The relations are stronger with the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere than with those in its vicinity. With the former it has a number of genera in common, as, omitting those already mentioned, betula, ribes, rubus, andromeda, vaccinium, auricula, cardamine, draba, lepidium, stellaria, hydrocotyle, anemone, drosera, galium, tussilago, salix, carex, cyperus, and usnea. With adjoining regions, fuchsia, myrtus, drymis, baccharis, escallonia, calceolaria, and chelone. With the South Africa Region, nothwithstanding a considerable difference in the climate, gladiolus, ixia, wistenia, galaxia, and crassula. And with New Holland, araucaria, embothrium, ourisia, and mniarum. Its own peculiarities are due to the novelty of nearly the whole of the species, and to the genera gaimardia, astelia, callixene, philesia, drapetes, bæa, pernettia, oligosporus, nassavia, bolax, azorella, donatia, acæna, hamadryas, and the curious misodendrum. A relation of identity with European regions is established through pinguicula alpina, viola palustris, statice armeria, dactylis glomerata, and several mosses and lichens.

XVIII.-THE POLYNESIA REGION.

EXTENT. The various groups of islands composing this region have no great superficies, but possess many features of peculiarity and interest. The region by no means includes all the group of the Pacific Ocean, but only those which are more particularly designated as Polynesia. It comprises the Sandwich Islands, the Society Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Gambier Islands, the Harvey Islands, the low coral islands of the Dangerous or Pomoutou group, and the Radack and Ralick chains, with a few solitary detached, but unimportant islands.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERS.-There are perhaps few spots where such an assemblage of agreeable external circumstances is met with, and where the visitor is assailed by so many favourable impressions. The climate is warm without being oppressive, the scenery partakes of all that variety nature can so well assume, where mountain, valley, and plain exist, and have each their charms; and where the vegetation is varied and agreeable, without being in excess. The islands may be regarded as so many mountains of basalt and lava, split by numerous valleys, and with their bases often dilated into plains, stretching with various inclinations to the cliffs or coral reefs of the shores. The valleys are usually very steep, and contain the chief and richest soil, for the mountains often display precipices with the smoothness and regularity of artificial walls. Elsewhere are numerous projecting masses of rocks, rendering certain parts entirely unfit for cultivation. Among the denser vegetation the soil is black from the mixture of organic matter, but on the plains it is frequently of a deep-red colour, and may be used as a coarse paint. This owes much of its exist