(Footnote.  We had been able to introduce several useful plants into the Cape; amongst others the South American Yam, which, owing to the quality of the potatoes and their great fluctuations in price, will eventually be very serviceable to the colonists, more especially for the use of whalers.)

CHAPTER 3.  FROM THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TO HANOVER BAY.

NATURAL HISTORY.

FORSTER’S Pachyptila (Pachyptila vittata.)

October 16.

I shot a female petrel; it had a nail planted in the heel, but no thumb; the bill was hooked at the end, the extremity of which seemed to consist of a distinct piece, articulated with the remainder; the nostrils were united, and formed a tube laid on the back of the upper mandible, hence it belonged to the family of Petrels (Procellariae.)

Its temperature was 94 degrees. 
Length from tip to tip of wing, 2 feet 3 inches. 
Length from tip of beak to tip of tail, 1 foot 2.4 inches. 
Length from root to tip of tail, 4 inches. 
Length of beak, 1.45 inches. 
Length of foot, 1.55 inches. 
Breadth across body, 2.3 inches.

Colour of beak and legs black; body white underneath; general colour above, a light bluish slate, which grows darker in the head and wing covers; tail tipped with black; the four first wing feathers tinged with black.

Cape pigeons.

I also shot this afternoon three Cape pigeons (Procellaria capensis) white underneath, spotted black and white above.

First specimen—­Female.

Temperature, 98 1/2 degrees. 
Length from tip to tip of wing, 2 feet 11.3 inches. 
Length from tip of tail to tip of beak, 1 foot 6 inches. 
Length from tip of beak, 1.5 inches. 
Length from root to tip of tail,4.1 inches. 
Length of foot, 2.3 inches. 
Breadth across body, 3.2 inches.

Second specimen.

Length from tip to tip of wing, 2 feet 5 inches. 
Length from tip of tail to tip of beak, 1 foot 5 inches. 
Length from tip of beak, 1.5 inches. 
Length from root to tip of tail, 4 inches. 
Length of foot, 2.3 inches. 
Breadth across body, 3 inches.

Third specimen—­Female.

Length from tip to tip of wing, 2 feet 5.5 inches. 
Length from tip of tail to tip of beak, 1 foot 4.6 inches. 
Length from tip of beak, 1.3 inches. 
Length from root to tip of tail, 4.6 inches. 
Length of foot, 2.2 inches. 
Breadth across body, 3.4 inches.

Two species of insects were found in these Cape pigeons.

The only difference I have been able to observe between the male and female of these birds is, that the male has the black spots of rather a deeper hue.

October 21.  Latitude 38 degrees 15 south; longitude 35 degrees 53 minutes east.

From a variety of observations I am able to bear testimony to the correctness of a fact that has been before noticed, namely, that the Medusae invariably live in families.  This single circumstance is remarkable in connection with other points of natural history since it will tend to explain the reason of certain classes of Petrels (Procellariae) only visiting particular parts of the ocean.