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peds is rendered very simple ; and ivith regard to the conditions
of their former existence, the principal difficulties
have, I think, already been removed.
Having concluded tins long discussion on the analogies
ivhich may be draivn from the existing climate of the
southern parts of America, together with its productions, we
will return to the description of Tierra del Fnego.
There is one vegetable production in this country ivhich is
worthy of mention, as it affords a staple article of food to the
aborigines. It is a globular fungus of a bright yellow colour,
and of about the size of a small apple, which adheres in vast
numbers to the bark of the beech-trees. It probably forms
a new genus, allied to the morell. In the young state it
is elastic and turgid, from being charged with moisture. The
external skin is smooth, yet slightly marked with small circular
pits, like those from the smallpox. When cut in two,
the inside is seen to consist of a white fleshy substance,
which viewed under a high power resembles, from the numerous
thread-like cylinders, vermicelli. Close beneath the
surface, cup-shaped balls, about one-tweffth of an inch in
diameter, are arranged at regular intervals. These cups are
filled with a shghtly adhesive, yet elastic, colourless, quite
transparent matter; and from the latter character they at
first appeared empty. These little gelatinous balls could be
easily detached from the surrounding mass, except at the
upper extremity, where the edge divided itself into threads,
which mingled with the rest of the vermicelli-like mass.
The external skin directly above each of the balls is pitted,
and as the fungus grows old, it is ruptured, and the gelatinous
mass, whioh no doubt contains the sporules, is disseminated.
th e b o ttom , a n d t h a t th e flak e s o f ice w h e n th e y ris e to th e su rfa c e , o fte n
“ b r in g w ith th em la rg e s to n e s .” All tli a t seems to b e r e q u ir e d in p ro d
u c in g g ro u n d -ic e , is, t h a t th e r e s h o u ld b e su ffic ie n t m o v em e n t in tlie
flu id , so t h a t th e w h o le is c o o le d d ow n to th o fre e z in g p o in t, a n d tlic n tlio
w a te r crystallizes, iv h e re v e r th e r e is a p o in t o f a tta c iim e n t.
After this process of fructification has taken place, the
whole surface becomes honeycombed, with empty cells (as
represented in the accompanying woodcut), and the fungus
shrinks, and grows tougher. In this state it is eaten hy the
Fuegians, in large quantities, uncooked, and when well
chewed has a mucilaginous and slightly sweet taste, together
with a faint odour like that of a mushroom. Excepting a
few berries of a dwarf arbutus, which need hardly be taken
into the account, these poor savages never eat any other
vegetable food besides this fungus.*
I have already mentioned the sombre and dull character
of the forests,! in ivhich two or three species of
trees grow, to the exclusion of all others. Above the forest
land, there are many dwarf alpine plants, which aU spring
from the mass of peat, and help to compose it. The central
part of Tierra del Fuego, where the clay-slate formation
* I n N ew Z e a la n d , b e fo re th e in tr o d u c tio n o f th e p o ta to , th e ro o t o f
th e fern was consvimed in la rg e q u a n titie s . A t th e p r e s e n t d a y I sh o u ld
th in k T i e r r a d e l F u e g o w a s th e o n ly c o u n try in th e w o rld , w h e r e a c ry p to g
amie p l a n t a ffo rd e d a s ta p le a rtic le o f food.
t C a p ta in F i tz R o y in fo rm s m e t h a t in A p r il ( o u r O c to b e r ) th e leav e s o f
th o s e tre e s w h ic h g row n e a r th e b a se o f th e m o u n ta in s c h a n g e c o lo u r, b u t
n o t th o s e in th e m o re e le v a te d p a rts . I r em em b e r h a v in g r e a d som e o b se rv
a tio n s sh ow in g , t h a t in E n g la n d th e lea v e s fall e a rlie r in a w a rm a n d fin e
a u tum n , tlia n in a l a t e a n d c o ld o n e . T h is c h a n g e in th e c o lo u r b e in g
r e ta rd e d in th e m o re e le v a te d a n d th e r e fo r e c o ld e r s itu a tio n s , m u s t b e
ow in g to th e s am e g e n e ra l law o f v e g e ta tio n . T h o tr e e s o f T i e r r a del
F u e g o d u r in g n o p a r t o f th o y e a r o n tire ly slicd th e i r leav es.
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