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138 Cruise of ihe “A icrL” A New Frog— Gray Harbour. 139
Group,” of which the survey— commenced by the Chilians— was
as yet incomplete. Port Riofrio is situated on the eastern side
of Wellington Island, and derives its name from a large mountain
torrent which pours its water into the bay nearly opposite
to the entrance, for which it also forms one of the principal
leading marks. On the western side of the anchorage, and forming
a sort of mighty dam across the valley through which this
torrent flows, is a remarkable raised beach, whose brow stretches
horizontally from ridge to ridge, its continuity being only broken
by a narrow fissure through which the torrent rushes, descending
thence by a scries of cascades to the sea. Inside this barrier
the land slopes gradually but slightly downward to an extensive
plateau, which forms the bed of the valley between the two mountain
ranges. Opinions differed on board as to whether this
barrier was a raised beach or an old terminal moraine ; but I
inclined to the former view, from the fact of its brow being so
regular and horizontal, from its stretching evenly from hill to hill,
from the absence of any vestige of lateral moraine on the hillsides,
and from the slight difference in actual level between the
brow of the barrier and the general surface of the plain within.
It was covered with the usual swampy soil-cap, and the plain was
for the most part occupied by an extensive swamp. Here I
collected fine fruiting specimens of a handsome velvety moss,
Tetraplodon mnioides, of a rich green colour, which I have before
alluded to as forming curious tufts on the summits of boulders,
on rocky pinnacles, and on the stumps of dead trees.
On the shores of this anchorage grew several plants which we
had not previously seen in the Straits. Among these was the
Mitraria coccinea, a climbing shrub, easily recognised by its dark-
green glossy ovate-acute leaves, and short tubular scarlet fiowers.
Another was the Weinmannia trichosperma, a tall erect shrub with
serrated pinnate leaves, and jointed petioles winged in a curious
rhomboidal fashion. I was in hopes of finding here the beautiful
Hymenophyllum crncntuni, which we obtained last year at an island
in the English Narrows, some miles to the northward, but was
disappointed, its range probably not extending so far south.
Two animals new to science were here obtained, viz., a small
frog of a dirty yellow colour, which has since been described by
Dr. Günther as a new species of “ CacotusP and an Uncinated
calamary, which has since been examined by Mr. Edgar Smith,
and found to represent a new species, to which he assigns the
name “ Onychoteiithis ingensP The last-mentioned specimen was
found stranded on the beach. The body, from oral aperture to
extremity of caudal appendage, measured fifteen inches, and the
total length from caudal appendage to anterior extremity of
tentacles was two feet nine inches. The tentacular hooks were
very formidable. No other example of this species of squid was
encountered.
Having completed the survey of the Covadonga Group, we
again proceeded on our way northwards. On the first night we
stopped at Gray Harbour, a port immediately to the northward
of the English Narrows. As soon as we had anchored. Lieutenant
Rooper and I took advantage of the few remaining hours of
twilight and started off in the skiff, directing our course towards
the head of the bay, where a fair-sized river entered the sea. We
proceeded up the river for about a quarter of a mile, finding its
banks composed of a bluish clay, and passing at its mouth a low
triangular island, which seemed to be a delta formed of clay and
sand washed down from the hills, and piled up here at the outlet
where the fresh water flow was dammed up in a measure by its
contact with the sea. On the pebbly shores of the river we
picked up several specimens of a pond snail— a species of Chilinia,
I believe ; and on working a light dredge in mid-stream, we
obtained many more specimens of the same. The location was
one eminently suggestive of the haunts of otters, nutria, and
water-fowl, but not a solitary animal of the kind was to be seen.
The disappointment, however, was one which our experience of
similar and equally tempting localities had taught us to be
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