Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/120

98 deiiide ascendentes, foliis plurimis per totani longitudinem vaginati, una cum foliis 1 unc. diametr., graciles, nodosi; internodiis sub 2-uncialibus ; nodis constrictis, briumeis. Folia longissinia, 3^ pedalia, basi longe vaginantia, lineari-elongata, in apiceni subfilifoiinem gradatim desinentia, panicidam longe superantia, per totani longitudinem involuta, glaberrima, coriacea, profunde striata, lsevia, polita, viridi-straminea, supra pallide virescentia; marginibus laevissimis, prope ligidam parce pilosis. Vagina elongate, interdum pedales, ad basin fissae, compressse, iuferiores paulo curvatae, suleatae, coriaceae, ad margines seariosas, inferne indurates, subbgnosae, pallide flavas ; ligula tenuissima, sericeo-barbata. Panicula subcoarctata, ovata v. ovato-oblonga, compressa, 4-6 unc. longa, multiflora, ramosa; rachi glaberrima, angulata; ramis gracillimis divisis, ad axillos pilosis v. barbatis. Spicules pedicellatae ; |— 1 unc. longae, ovato- v. lineari-oblongse, i unc. lata?, multi-8-ll-flores, pallide flavae, nitidae. Glumes coriaceas, flosculis •| breviores, valvar lanceolate, concavae, ecarinatae, glabemmae, obscure quinquenerves, nervis tribus interioribus interdum supra medium in uniun coabtis ; valva superior major, nervis magis distinctis, marginibus inferne sericeo-ciliatis. Mosculi pedicellati, basi remotiuseuli ; pedicellis dense villoso-barbatis. Palea 2, coriaceae, subsequales, inferior concava, ad margines dorsoque basi sericea, superne bifida, inter segmenta laneeolato-subulata longe aristata, 5-7 nenis, nervis extus costatis ; arista erecta v. patula, valida, palea bis longiore, scabriuscula, stramiuea. Pedea supe- rior lineari-oblonga, apice bidentata, lougitudinaliter plicata, bicarinata ; carinis dorso ciliatis, basi extus sericeis. Squawida 2, ovatse, acuminatae, iutegrae. Stamina 3, inclusa; antheris fidis. Ovarium obovatum, compressum, sub-longe stipitatum ; stglis basi remotis ; stigmatibus parce plumosis.

This is a fine species and quite distinct from any other ; it grows throughout the islands in great abundance, especially on the upland regions, where it forms much the greater proportion of the herbage, appearing in large, often isolated tussacks, one or two feet in diameter. Amongst them the Albatrosses are wont to raise their curious nests, which they construct of dirt and the straw of this grass, moidded into the form of a very large low Stilton cheese, with a shallow hollow at top : in these they lay a solitary egg weighing 16-20 oz. So strong is their attachment to their progeny that in no instance can an Albatross be removed from its charge without actual force ; they vigorously defend their nests, striking boldly at the aggressor with their bills, so that it is sometimes difficult to obtain possession of the egg at all without cruelty to these beautiful and snow-white birds, whose confidence in man leads them to suspect no evil until actually attacked, and whose self-denying devotion to their young deserves a different treatment. The great size and beauty of the egg, coupled with its rarity in European collections, are attractions too strong to be resisted ; and even had it not these reasons for being prized, it possesses in the excellence of its contents for culinary purposes a great recommendation to the members of a mess long restricted to salt provisions.

The tufts of Bromus antarcticus are of a very rigid, hard and wiry consistence, and after a few hours sunshine become so dry, that on being ignited a rapidly devouring flame quickly spreads from one hummock to another, until many acres are blazing in a most alarming manner. A fire incautiously kindled on one occasion by a small party of officers, soon covered many miles of ground ; after consuming all the Bromus in its neighbourhood, it communicated with the brushwood which borders the woods, and thence to the low dense forest itself, for many hours threatening the destruction of the observatories and our little temporary village ashore ; the progress of the fire was happily checked for a time by a small stream, until a severe storm of sleet, which the falling barometer and unusual (for these latitudes) fineness of the weather had predicted, finally put an end to the conflagration. From the ships in the harbour the sight was very grand, especially at night, the flames seeming to leap from spot to spot wherever this grass prevailed.

Plate LIT. Fig. 1, a spikelet ; jig. 2, a floret removed from the spikelet ; fg. 3, squamulae, stamina and ovarium, &c. ; fig. 4, two forms of the squaniulas : — all magnified.

5. FESTUCA, L.

1. Festuca scoparia, Hook. fil. ; panicula pauciflora subcoarctata, spiculis compressis majusculis 4-5- floris, glumarum valvis subsequalibus trinerviis flosculis brevioribus, palea iuferiore scaberula basi longe