213

St. of Magellan

1834. Feb:

Avestruz petise old one, but yet retains a slight blueish-green tint, different from the yellowish one of the common one.— The feathers amply bear out the Gauchos expression of "overo" or speckled, & some added that it was darker.— With the Patagonians at Gregory Bay there was a semi-Indian, who had lived with them for four years.— He tells me there are no others, excepting the Petises in these Agrees with Gauchos stating them to be many in San Josè Southern parts; that like the other ostrich many females lay in one nest, but that mean number of eggs in one nest is considerably less, namely not more than 15.— (The port Desire Egg was a Watcho).— Whatever Naturalists may say, I shall be convinced from such testimony as Indians & Gauchos that there are two species of Rhea in S. America.

1837./1838. Puffinus (1816) I bought from the Chinas some feathers & a skin

This bird is very abundant in the Sts of Magellan near P Famine.— It is particularly active late (a) in the evenings & early in the mornings.— flies in long strings, up & down very rapidly, settles in large flocks on the water.— When slightly wounded could not dive.— The male & female are of the same plumage.— In the stomach of one, small fish & 7 or 8 Crust. Mac. same as (820 spirits). stomach much distended.— shot late in the evening in a boat.— very wary & shy, will not approach a ship.— Mr Bynoes has seen them in very great number in the quiet sea of straits & passages of the Western Coast.— inner web "red lilac purple", edges of all & greater part of outer web blackish; legs & half of lower mandible pale "do purple".—

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(a) On the East coast of Tierra del Fuego single ones & Pairs may generally be seen flying about.

(z) The Petrel (1782) I saw between Falkland Islands & Patagonia. Mr Stokes says they build on the Landfall Islands, in holes about a yard deep, even 1/2 a mile, on the hills, from the sea.— somewhat like Puffins.— If a person stamps on the ground, many will come out of one hole: eggs elongated white, about size of pidgeon.—

I find I am mistaken. this observation of Mr Stokes applies to the small blue petrel with waving dark line (like S) on the wings.—

1834 December (a) I never saw so many birds of any sort together as of this Petrel in the inland sea behind Chiloe. There were hundreds of thousands, flying in an irregular line, in one direction for an infin many several hours, & when on the water it was black with their numbers.— Said to be very irregular in their movements, appearing in certain places in number & on the next day not one to be seen.— The water here contained clouds of small Crustaceæ.— The flock together made a cackling noise, somewhat like people talking at the distance.—

214

St. of Magellan

1834 (Feb 13th)

Sigillina (832) Brought up by the Anchor. 14 Fathoms. East entrance of the straits of Magellan.— Stem much flattened 3ft:4 inches long: free extremity rounded, thickest & broardest from which it tapers to the root.— These two extremities are alone preserved in the spirit (832).— Orifices approximate, tubular, slightly flattened, simple, edges very thin, projecting 1/12th of an inch.— Color "Lemon. with little wax Yellow". section shows the individual animals to be of bright "sulphur yellow".— On cutting the specimen into two parts. I noticed in many of the animals (strong difference with Zoophites) a collection from 10 to 15 pale "auricular purple ovules".— They were enveloped in a mass in a gelatinous substance.— They were primarily sphæres, from which state they gradually altered (those in same state being in same body) till they were the object figured (Plate 8. F 2.) This consists of an cup shaped capsule with tail about 3 & 1/2 times as long as body.— tail gradually tapering lower half & extremity are most fine, transparent natatory membrane or fin.— central vessel divided in lower part by transvers partitions.— upper end of cup (in the semi-developed specimens which I obtained) became blended blended in the gelatinous pulp, in which the ovules were irregularly placed. (tail not coiled). within the Capsule was opake body united with tail & having a neck in upper part which ended in 3 sorts of horns or processes. (these parts, although I do not quite understand how, would probably form the orifices): the chief part of opake internal body was formed by paralled (a) longitudinal vessels. (rudimentary Branchiæ?). Total length of tail & body, 1/10th of inch.—

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(a) I have omitted to state the most curious part, that these young Sigillines by the aid of their tadpole-like tail & flat membrane could with a vibratory motion gain a tolerably rapid progress motion.— V. Synoricum Falkland Isds.—

215

1834 Feby 25th

Holuthuria (843) Length of whole animal .7: head globular 1/3 greater diameter than body. length .2: body tapering to tail: 3 rows of papillæ (2 or 3 deep) on one side of body; few scattered round base of the anterior spherical enlargement or head.— This latter part is flattened on the top, round which are seated 10 much but irregularly branched tentacula; two approximate ones are very small & different from the rest.— In centre tubular, long projecting lip, with concentric lines. highly extensible & dilatable. Head obscurely lobate.— Surface covered with small oblong patches of fine punctures, which feel a little rough.— General color "peach blossom red". tentacular orange, with few brownish orange spots at their bases: central lip on mouth yellow.— Low-water mark.— Wollaston Island.—

Holuthuria Doris-like Body oval depressed, strikingly resembling a Nudibranch. Upper surface convex covered with scales, form truncated angular [sketch] pointing from edges of body to central parts.— outer ones small (but not gradually) increasing towards the centre. Scales covered with punctures.— Lower surface soft concave.— The mouth is situated at 1/4 length of body from anterior extremity; circular is completely closed by 5 pointed scales: [sketch] Tentacula 10. long. 1/2 length of body: tapering, little branched, tree like (in contradistinction to bush-like).— Resemble that of Holuthuria (P 163).— They surround the mouth.— The bony collar consists of 10 truncated gothic arches or rather 5 pair.— slightly stony.— When the Tentacula are retracted this collar is nearly in centre of body & lies in an inclined position with respect to the plain of body.—

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(a) June 3d. 1834. Port Famine. Found abundantly in 5 & 6 Fathom water, adhæring to the large stones to which the Fucus gigant. grows.— They lie very flat & fill up any irregularities in the surface of the stone.— Removing one large one.— I found beneath 10 to 20 ovules beneath it; the animal being placed in water these were washed away: ovule — dark orange color. length 1/15th of inch; elongated oval soft sack, with several blunt, rough conical projections (doubtless in nature tentacula); by which it made attempts to crawl — Perhaps the lower membrane was ruptured or if not the mouth of the oviduct is on the inferior surface.—