Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/230

150 The pigs that were left on the island by Captain Bristow have become very numerous. Their food consists of the Arabia polarisAralia polaris [sic], "one of the most beautiful and singular of the vegetable productions of the island it inhabits, growing in large orbicular masses on rocks and banks near the sea, or amongst the dense and gloomy vegetation of the woods; its copious bright green foliage, and large umbels of waxy flowers, have a most striking appearance. The whole plant has a heavy and rather disagreeable rank smell, common to many of its natural order. But it is, nevertheless, greedily eaten by goats, pigs, and rabbits." And more especially the Pleurophyllum criniferum, a very common and striking plant, often covering a great extent of ground, and according to Dr. Hooker, forming the larger proportion of the food of the hogs which now run wild upon the main island of this group. It is indeed so abundant in the marshy spots, that these animals frequently live entirely amongst it, particularly where it grows near the margins of the woods, where they form broad tracks through the patches, grubbing up the roots to a great extent, and by trampling down the soft stems and leaves, make soft and warm places for them, to litter in.

One of these animals was shot by Mr. Hallett, the purser, and although in poor condition its flesh