July 5th, 1832 -- In the morning we got under way, and stoodout of the splendid harbour of Rio de Janeiro. In our passageto the Plata, we saw nothing particular, excepting on one daya great shoal of porpoises, many hundreds in number. The wholesea was in places furrowed by them; and a most extraordinaryspectacle was presented, as hundreds, proceeding together byjumps, in which their whole bodies were exposed, thus cut thewater. When the ship was running nine knots an hour, theseanimals could cross and recross the bows with the greatest ofease, and then dash away right ahead. As soon as we enteredthe estuary of the Plata, the weather was very unsettled. Onedark night we were surrounded by numerous seals and penguins,which made such strange noises, that the officer on watchreported he could hear the cattle bellowing on shore. On asecond night we witnessed a splendid scene of natural fireworks;the mast-head and yard-arm-ends shone with St. Elmo's light;and the form of the vane could almost be traced, as if it hadbeen rubbed with phosphorus. The sea was so highly luminous,that the tracks of the penguins were marked by a fiery wake,and the darkness of the sky was momentarily illuminated bythe most vivid lightning.

When within the mouth of the river, I was interested byobserving how slowly the waters of the sea and river mixed.The latter, muddy and discoloured, from its less specificgravity, floated on the surface of the salt water. This wascuriously exhibited in the wake of the vessel, where a lineof blue water was seen mingling in little eddies, with theadjoining fluid.

July 26th. -- We anchored at Monte Video. The Beaglewas employed in surveying the extreme southern and easterncoasts of America, south of the Plata, during the two succeedingyears. To prevent useless repetitions, I will extractthose parts of my journal which refer to the same districtswithout always attending to the order in which we visitedthem.

MALDONADO is situated on the northern bank of the Plata,and not very far from the mouth of the estuary. It is amost quiet, forlorn, little town; built, as is universally thecase in these countries, with the streets running at rightangles to each other, and having in the middle a large plazaor square, which, from its size, renders the scantiness of thepopulation more evident. It possesses scarcely any trade;the exports being confined to a few hides and living cattle.The inhabitants are chiefly landowners, together with a fewshopkeepers and the necessary tradesmen, such as blacksmithsand carpenters, who do nearly all the business for acircuit of fifty miles round. The town is separated from theriver by a band of sand-hillocks, about a mile broad: it issurrounded, on all other sides, by an open slightly-undulatingcountry, covered by one uniform layer of fine green turf,on which countless herds of cattle, sheep, and horses graze.There is very little land cultivated even close to the town.A few hedges, made of cacti and agave, mark out wheresome wheat or Indian corn has been planted. The featuresof the country are very similar along the whole northernbank of the Plata. The only difference is, that here thegranitic hills are a little bolder. The scenery is veryuninteresting; there is scarcely a house, an enclosed piece ofground, or even a tree, to give it an air of cheerfulnessYet, after being imprisoned for some time in a ship, there isa charm in the unconfined feeling of walking over boundlessplains of turf. Moreover, if your view is limited to a smallspace, many objects possess beauty. Some of the smallerbirds are brilliantly coloured; and the bright green sward,browsed short by the cattle, is ornamented by dwarf flowers,among which a plant, looking like the daisy, claimed theplace of an old friend. What would a florist say to wholetracts, so thickly covered by the Verbena melindres, as, evenat a distance, to appear of the most gaudy scarlet?

I stayed ten weeks at Maldonado, in which time a nearlyperfect collection of the animals, birds, and reptiles, wasprocured. Before making any observations respecting them,I will give an account of a little excursion I made as faras the river Polanco, which is about seventy miles distant,in a northerly direction. I may mention, as a proof howcheap everything is in this country, that I paid only twodollars a day, or eight shillings, for two men, together witha troop of about a dozen riding-horses. My companionswere well armed with pistols and sabres; a precaution whichI thought rather unnecessary but the first piece of newswe heard was, that, the day before, a traveller from MonteVideo had been found dead on the road, with his throatcut. This happened close to a cross, the record of a formermurder.

On the first night we slept at a retired little country-house;and there I soon found out that I possessed two orthree articles, especially a pocket compass, which createdunbounded astonishment. In every house I was asked toshow the compass, and by its aid, together with a map, topoint out the direction of various places. It excited theliveliest admiration that I, a perfect stranger, should knowthe road (for direction and road are synonymous in this opencountry) to places where I had never been. At one housea young woman, who was ill in bed, sent to entreat me tocome and show her the compass. If their surprise was great,mine was greater, to find such ignorance among people whopossessed their thousands of cattle, and "estancias" of greatextent. It can only be accounted for by the circumstancethat this retired part of the country is seldom visited byforeigners. I was asked whether the earth or sun moved;whether it was hotter or colder to the north; where Spainwas, and many other such questions. The greater number ofthe inhabitants had an indistinct idea that England, London,and North America, were different names for the sameplace; but the better informed well knew that London andNorth America were separate countries close together, andthat England was a large town in London! I carried withme some promethean matches, which I ignited by biting; itwas thought so wonderful that a man should strike fire withhis teeth, that it was usual to collect the whole family tosee it: I was once offered a dollar for a single one. Washingmy face in the morning caused much speculation at the villageof Las Minas; a superior tradesman closely cross-questionedme about so singular a practice; and likewise why onboard we wore our beards; for he had heard from my guidethat we did so. He eyed me with much suspicion; perhapshe had heard of ablutions in the Mahomedan religion, andknowing me to be a heretick, probably he came to the conclusionthat all hereticks were Turks. It is the general customin this country to ask for a night's lodging at the firstconvenient house. The astonishment at the compass, andmy other feats of jugglery, was to a certain degreeadvantageous, as with that, and the long stories my guidestold of my breaking stones, knowing venomous from harmlesssnakes, collecting insects, etc., I repaid them for theirhospitality. I am writing as if I had been among the inhabitantsof central Africa: Banda Oriental would not be flattered bythe comparison; but such were my feelings at the time.

The next day we rode to the village of Las Minas. Thecountry was rather more hilly, but otherwise continued thesame; an inhabitant of the Pampas no doubt would haveconsidered it as truly Alpine. The country is so thinlyinhabited, that during the whole day we scarcely met a singleperson. Las Minas is much smaller even than Maldonado.It is seated on a little plain, and is surrounded by low rockymountains. It is of the usual symmetrical form, and withits whitewashed church standing in the centre, had rathera pretty appearance. The outskirting houses rose out of theplain like isolated beings, without the accompaniment ofgardens or courtyards. This is generally the case in thecountry, and all the houses have, in consequence anuncomfortable aspect. At night we stopped at a pulperia,or drinking-shop. During the evening a great number of Gauchoscame in to drink spirits and smoke cigars: their appearanceis very striking; they are generally tall and handsome, butwith a proud and dissolute expression of countenance. Theyfrequently wear their moustaches and long black hair curlingdown their backs. With their brightly coloured garments,great spurs clanking about their heels, and knivesstuck as daggers (and often so used) at their waists, theylook a very different race of men from what might be expectedfrom their name of Gauchos, or simple countrymen.Their politeness is excessive; they never drink their spiritswithout expecting you to taste it; but whilst making theirexceedingly graceful bow, they seem quite as ready, if occasionoffered, to cut your throat.

On the third day we pursued rather an irregular course,as I was employed in examining some beds of marble. Onthe fine plains of turf we saw many ostriches (Struthiorhea). Some of the flocks contained as many as twenty orthirty birds. These, when standing on any little eminence,and seen against the clear sky, presented a very nobleappearance. I never met with such tame ostriches in any otherpart of the country: it was easy to gallop up within a shortdistance of them; but then, expanding their wings, theymade all sail right before the wind, and soon left the horseastern.

At night we came to the house of Don Juan Fuentes, arich landed proprietor, but not personally known to eitherof my companions. On approaching the house of a stranger,it is usual to follow several little points of etiquette: ridingup slowly to the door, the salutation of Ave Maria is given,and until somebody comes out and asks you to alight, it isnot customary even to get off your horse: the formal answerof the owner is, "sin pecado concebida" -- that is, conceivedwithout sin. Having entered the house, some general conversationis kept up for a few minutes, till permission isasked to pass the night there. This is granted as a matterof course. The stranger then takes his meals with the family,and a room is assigned him, where with the horseclothsbelonging to his recado (or saddle of the Pampas) he makeshis bed. It is curious how similar circumstances producesuch similar results in manners. At the Cape of Good Hopethe same hospitality, and very nearly the same points ofetiquette, are universally observed. The difference, however,between the character of the Spaniard and that of the Dutchboer is shown, by the former never asking his guest a singlequestion beyond the strictest rule of politeness, whilst thehonest Dutchman demands where he has been, where he isgoing, what is his business, and even how many brotherssisters, or children he may happen to have.

Shortly after our arrival at Don Juan's, one of the largestherds of cattle was driven in towards the house, and threebeasts were picked out to be slaughtered for the supply ofthe establishment. These half-wild cattle are very active;and knowing full well the fatal lazo, they led the horses along and laborious chase. After witnessing the rude wealthdisplayed in the number of cattle, men, and horses, DonJuan's miserable house was quite curious. The floor consistedof hardened mud, and the windows were withoutglass; the sitting-room boasted only of a few of the roughestchairs and stools, with a couple of tables. The supper, althoughseveral strangers were present, consisted of two hugepiles, one of roast beef, the other of boiled, with some piecesof pumpkin: besides this latter there was no other vegetable,and not even a morsel of bread. For drinking, a largeearthenware jug of water served the whole party. Yet thisman was the owner of several square miles of land, of whichnearly every acre would produce corn, and, with a littletrouble, all the common vegetables. The evening was spent insmoking, with a little impromptu singing, accompanied bythe guitar. The signoritas all sat together in one cornerof the room, and did not sup with the men.

So many works have been written about these countries,that it is almost superfluous to describe either the lazo orthe bolas. The lazo consists of a very strong, but thin,well-plaited rope, made of raw hide. One end is attached to thebroad surcingle, which fastens together the complicated gearof the recado, or saddle used in the Pampas; the other isterminated by a small ring of iron or brass, by which a noosecan be formed. The Gaucho, when he is going to use thelazo, keeps a small coil in his bridle-hand, and in the otherholds the running noose which is made very large, generallyhaving a diameter of about eight feet. This he whirlsround his head, and by the dexterous movement of his wristkeeps the noose open; then, throwing it, he causes it to fallon any particular spot he chooses. The lazo, when not used,is tied up in a small coil to the after part of the recado.The bolas, or balls, are of two kinds: the simplest, whichis chiefly used for catching ostriches, consists of two roundstones, covered with leather, and united by a thin plaitedthong, about eight feet long. The other kind differs onlyin having three balls united by the thongs to a commoncentre. The Gaucho holds the smallest of the three in hishand, and whirls the other two round and round his head;then, taking aim, sends them like chain shot revolvingthrough the air. The balls no sooner strike any object, than,winding round it, they cross each other, and become firmlyhitched. The size and weight of the balls vary, accordingto the purpose for which they are made: when of stone,although not larger than an apple, they are sent with suchforce as sometimes to break the leg even of a horse. I haveseen the balls made of wood, and as large as a turnip, forthe sake of catching these animals without injuring them.The balls are sometimes made of iron, and these can behurled to the greatest distance. The main difficulty in usingeither lazo or bolas is to ride so well as to be able at fullspeed, and while suddenly turning about, to whirl them sosteadily round the head, as to take aim: on foot any personwould soon learn the art. One day, as I was amusing myselfby galloping and whirling the balls round my head, by accidentthe free one struck a bush, and its revolving motionbeing thus destroyed, it immediately fell to the ground, and,like magic, caught one hind leg of my horse; the other ballwas then jerked out of my hand, and the horse fairly secured.Luckily he was an old practised animal, and knewwhat it meant; otherwise he would probably have kickedtill he had thrown himself down. The Gauchos roared withlaughter; they cried out that they had seen every sort ofanimal caught, but had never before seen a man caught byhimself.

During the two succeeding days, I reached the furthestpoint which I was anxious to examine. The country worethe same aspect, till at last the fine green turf became morewearisome than a dusty turnpike road. We everywhere sawgreat numbers of partridges (Nothura major). These birdsdo not go in coveys, nor do they conceal themselves likethe English kind. It appears a very silly bird. A man onhorseback by riding round and round in a circle, or ratherin a spire, so as to approach closer each time, may knockon the head as many as he pleases. The more commonmethod is to catch them with a running noose, or little lazo,made of the stem of an ostrich's feather, fastened to theend of a long stick. A boy on a quiet old horse will frequentlythus catch thirty or forty in a day. In Arctic NorthAmerica

On our return to Maldonado, we followed rather a differentline of road. Near Pan de Azucar, a landmark wellknown to all those who have sailed up the Plata, I stayeda day at the house of a most hospitable old Spaniard. Earlyin the morning we ascended the Sierra de las Animas. Bythe aid of the rising sun the scenery was almost picturesque.To the westward the view extended over an immense levelplain as far as the Mount, at Monte Video, and to the eastward,over the mammillated country of Maldonado. Onthe summit of the mountain there were several small heapsof stones, which evidently had lain there for many years.My companion assured me that they were the work of theIndians in the old time. The heaps were similar, but ona much smaller scale, to those so commonly found on themountains of Wales. The desire to signalize any event, onthe highest point of the neighbouring land, seems an universalpassion with mankind. At the present day, not asingle Indian, either civilized or wild, exists in this partof the province; nor am I aware that the former inhabitantshave left behind them any more permanent records thanthese insignificant piles on the summit of the Sierra de lasAnimas.

The general, and almost entire absence of trees in BandaOriental is remarkable. Some of the rocky hills are partlycovered by thickets, and on the banks of the larger streams,especially to the north of Las Minas, willow-trees are notuncommon. Near the Arroyo Tapes I heard of a wood ofpalms; and one of these trees, of considerable size, I sawnear the Pan de Azucar, in lat. 35 degs. These, and the treesplanted by the Spaniards, offer the only exceptions to thegeneral scarcity of wood. Among the introduced kinds maybe enumerated poplars, olives, peach, and other fruit trees:the peaches succeed so well, that they afford the main supplyof firewood to the city of Buenos Ayres. Extremely levelcountries, such as the Pampas, seldom appear favourable tothe growth of trees. This may possibly be attributed eitherto the force of the winds, or the kind of drainage. In thenature of the land, however, around Maldonado, no suchreason is apparent; the rocky mountains afford protectedsituations; enjoying various kinds of soil; streamlets ofwater are common at the bottoms of nearly every valley;and the clayey nature of the earth seems adapted to retainmoisture. It has been inferred with much probability, thatthe presence of woodland is generally determined

Confining our view to South America, we should certainlybe tempted to believe that trees flourished only under a veryhumid climate; for the limit of the forest-land follows, in amost remarkable manner, that of the damp winds. In thesouthern part of the continent, where the western gales,charged with moisture from the Pacific, prevail, every islandon the broken west coast, from lat. 38 degs. to the extremepoint of Tierra del Fuego, is densely covered by impenetrableforests. On the eastern side of the Cordillera, over the sameextent of latitude, where a blue sky and a fine climate provethat the atmosphere has been deprived of its moisture bypassing over the mountains, the arid plains of Patagoniasupport a most scanty vegetation. In the more northernparts of the continent, within the limits of the constantsouth-eastern trade-wind, the eastern side is ornamented bymagnificent forests; whilst the western coast, from lat.4 degs. S. to lat. 32 degs. S., may be described as adesert; on this western coast, northward of lat. 4 degs.S., where the trade-wind loses its regularity, and heavytorrents of rain fall periodically, the shores of thePacific, so utterly desert in Peru, assume near CapeBlanco the character of luxuriance so celebrated atGuyaquil and Panama. Hence in the southern and northernparts of the continent, the forest and desert lands occupyreversed positions with respect to the Cordillera, and thesepositions are apparently determined by the direction of theprevalent winds. In the middle of the continent there is abroad intermediate band, including central Chile and theprovinces of La Plata, where the rain-bringing winds havenot to pass over lofty mountains, and where the land is neithera desert nor covered by forests. But even the rule, ifconfined to South America, of trees flourishing only in aclimate rendered humid by rain-bearing winds, has a stronglymarked exception in the case of the Falkland Islands. Theseislands, situated in the same latitude with Tierra del Fuegoand only between two and three hundred miles distant fromit, having a nearly similar climate, with a geologicalformation almost identical, with favourable situations and thesame kind of peaty soil, yet can boast of few plants deservingeven the title of bushes; whilst in Tierra del Fuego it isimpossible to find an acre of land not covered by the densestforest. In this case, both the direction of the heavy galesof wind and of the currents of the sea are favourable tothe transport of seeds from Tierra del Fuego, as is shownby the canoes and trunks of trees drifted from that country,and frequently thrown on the shores of the Western Falkland.Hence perhaps it is, that there are many plants incommon to the two countries but with respect to the treesof Tierra del Fuego, even attempts made to transplant themhave failed.

During our stay at Maldonado I collected several quadrupeds,eighty kinds of birds, and many reptiles, includingnine species of snakes. Of the indigenous mammalia, theonly one now left of any size, which is common, is the Cervuscampestris. This deer is exceedingly abundant, often insmall herds, throughout the countries bordering the Plataand in Northern Patagonia. If a person crawling close alongthe ground, slowly advances towards a herd, the deer frequently,out of curiosity, approach to reconnoitre him. Ihave by this means, killed from one spot, three out of thesame herd. Although so tame and inquisitive, yet whenapproached on horseback, they are exceedingly wary. In thiscountry nobody goes on foot, and the deer knows man as itsenemy only when he is mounted and armed with the bolas.At Bahia Blanca, a recent establishment in Northern Patagonia,I was surprised to find how little the deer cared forthe noise of a gun: one day I fired ten times from withineighty yards at one animal; and it was much more startledat the ball cutting up the ground than at the report ofthe rifle. My powder being exhausted, I was obliged toget up (to my shame as a sportsman be it spoken, thoughwell able to kill birds on the wing) and halloo till the deerran away.

The most curious fact with respect to this animal, is theoverpoweringly strong and offensive odour which proceedsfrom the buck. It is quite indescribable: several timeswhilst skinning the specimen which is now mounted at theZoological Museum, I was almost overcome by nausea. Itied up the skin in a silk pocket-handkerchief, and so carriedit home: this handkerchief, after being well washed, Icontinually used, and it was of course as repeatedly washed;yet every time, for a space of one year and seven months, whenfirst unfolded, I distinctly perceived the odour. This appearsan astonishing instance of the permanence of somematter, which nevertheless in its nature must be most subtileand volatile. Frequently, when passing at the distance ofhalf a mile to leeward of a herd, I have perceived the wholeair tainted with the effluvium. I believe the smell from thebuck is most powerful at the period when its horns are perfect,or free from the hairy skin. When in this state themeat is, of course, quite uneatable; but the Gauchos assert,that if buried for some time in fresh earth, the taint isremoved. I have somewhere read that the islanders in thenorth of Scotland treat the rank carcasses of the fish-eatingbirds in the same manner.

The order Rodentia is here very numerous in species:of mice alone I obtained no less than eight kinds.

The Tucutuco (Ctenomys Brasiliensis) is a curious smallanimal, which may be briefly described as a Gnawer, withthe habits of a mole. It is extremely numerous in someparts of the country, but it is difficult to be procured, andnever, I believe, comes out of the ground. It throws up atthe mouth of its burrows hillocks of earth like those of themole, but smaller. Considerable tracts of country are socompletely undermined by these animals, that horses in passingover, sink above their fetlocks. The tucutucos appear,to a certain degree, to be gregarious: the man who procuredthe specimens for me had caught six together, and hesaid this was a common occurrence. They are nocturnal intheir habits; and their principal food is the roots of plants,which are the object of their extensive and superficial burrows.This animal is universally known by a very peculiarnoise which it makes when beneath the ground. A person,the first time he hears it, is much surprised; for it is noteasy to tell whence it comes, nor is it possible to guess whatkind of creature utters it. The noise consists in a short, butnot rough, nasal grunt, which is monotonously repeatedabout four times in quick succession:

The man who caught them asserted that very many areinvariably found blind. A specimen which I preserved inspirits was in this state; Mr. Reid considers it to be theeffect of inflammation in the nictitating membrane. When theanimal was alive I placed my finger within half an inch ofits head, and not the slightest notice was taken: it made itsway, however, about the room nearly as well as the others.Considering the strictly subterranean habits of the tucutuco,the blindness, though so common, cannot be a very seriousevil; yet it appears strange that any animal should possessan organ frequently subject to be injured. Lamarck wouldhave been delighted with this fact, had he known it, whenspeculating

Birds of many kinds are extremely abundant on the undulating,grassy plains around Maldonado. There are severalspecies of a family allied in structure and manners to ourStarling: one of these (Molothrus niger) is remarkable fromits habits. Several may often be seen standing together ontbe back of a cow or horse; and while perched on a hedge,pluming themselves in the sun, they sometimes attempt tosing, or rather to hiss; the noise being very peculiar,resembling that of bubbles of air passing rapidly from a smallorifice under water, so as to produce an acute sound. Accordingto Azara, this bird, like the cuckoo, deposits its eggsin other birds' nests. I was several times told by the countrypeople that there certainly is some bird having thishabit; and my assistant in collecting, who is a very accurateperson, found a nest of the sparrow of this country (Zonotrichiamatutina), with one egg in it larger than the others,and of a different colour and shape. In North Americathere is another species of Molothrus (M. pecoris), whichhas a similar cuckoo-like habit, and which is most closelyallied in every respect to the species from the Plata, even insuch trifling peculiarities as standing on the backs of cattle;it differs only in being a little smaller, and in its plumageand eggs being of a slightly different shade of colour. Thisclose agreement in structure and habits, in representativespecies coming from opposite quarters of a great continent,always strikes one as interesting, though of commonoccurrence.

Mr. Swainson has well remarked,

I will mention only two other birds, which are very common,and render themselves prominent from their habits.The Saurophagus sulphuratus is typical of the great Americantribe of tyrant-flycatchers. In its structure it closelyapproaches the true shrikes, but in its habits may be comparedto many birds. I have frequently observed it, huntinga field, hovering over one spot like a hawk, and then proceedingon to another. When seen thus suspended in the air,it might very readily at a short distance be mistaken for oneof the Rapacious order; its stoop, however, is very inferiorin force and rapidity to that of a hawk. At other timesthe Saurophagus haunts the neighbourhood of water, andthere, like a kingfisher, remaining stationary, it catches anysmall fish which may come near the margin. These birds arenot unfrequently kept either in cages or in courtyards, withtheir wings cut. They soon become tame, and are veryamusing from their cunning odd manners, which weredescribed to me as being similar to those of the commonmagpie. Their flight is undulatory, for the weight of thehead and bill appears too great for the body. In theevening the Saurophagus takes its stand on a bush, oftenby the roadside, and continually repeats without a changea shrill and rather agreeable cry, which somewhat resemblesarticulate words: the Spaniards say it is like the words"Bien te veo" (I see you well), and accordingly have givenit this name.

A mocking-bird (Mimus orpheus), called by the inhabitantsCalandria, is remarkable, from possessing a song farsuperior to that of any other bird in the country: indeed, itis nearly the only bird in South America which I haveobserved to take its stand for the purpose of singing. Thesong may be compared to that of the Sedge warbler, butis more powerful; some harsh notes and some very highones, being mingled with a pleasant warbling. It is heardonly during the spring. At other times its cry is harsh andfar from harmonious. Near Maldonado these birds weretame and bold; they constantly attended the country housesin numbers, to pick the meat which was hung up on the postsor walls: if any other small bird joined the feast, theCalandria soon chased it away. On the wide uninhabited plainsof Patagonia another closely allied species, O. Patagonicaof d'Orbigny, which frequents the valleys clothed withspiny bushes, is a wilder bird, and has a slightly differenttone of voice. It appears to me a curious circumstance, asshowing the fine shades of difference in habits, that judgingfrom this latter respect alone, when I first saw this secondspecies, I thought it was different from the Maldonado kind.Having afterwards procured a specimen, and comparing thetwo without particular care, they appeared so very similar,that I changed my opinion; but now Mr. Gould says that theyare certainly distinct; a conclusion in conformity with thetrifling difference of habit, of which, of course, he was notaware.

The number, tameness, and disgusting habits of thecarrion-feeding hawks of South America make thempre-eminently striking to any one accustomed only to the birdsof Northern Europe. In this list may be included four speciesof the Caracara or Polyborus, the Turkey buzzard, the Gallinazo,and the Condor. The Caracaras are, from theirstructure, placed among the eagles: we shall soon see howill they become so high a rank. In their habits they wellsupply the place of our carrion-crows, magpies, and ravens;a tribe of birds widely distributed over the rest of the world,but entirely absent in South America. To begin with thePolyborus Brasiliensis: this is a common bird, and has a widegeographical range; it is most numerous on the grassy savannahsof La Plata (where it goes by the name of Carrancha),and is far from unfrequent throughout the sterile plains ofPatagonia. In the desert between the rivers Negro and Colorado,numbers constantly attend the line of road to devourthe carcasses of the exhausted animals which chance toperish from fatigue and thirst. Although thus common inthese dry and open countries, and likewise on the arid shoresof the Pacific, it is nevertheless found inhabiting the dampimpervious forests of West Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.The Carranchas, together with the Chimango, constantlyattend in numbers the estancias and slaughtering-houses. Ifan animal dies on the plain the Gallinazo commences thefeast, and then the two species of Polyborus pick the bonesclean. These birds, although thus commonly feeding together,are far from being friends. When the Carrancha isquietly seated on the branch of a tree or on the ground, theChimango often continues for a long time flying backwardsand forwards, up and down, in a semicircle, trying each timeat the bottom of the curve to strike its larger relative. TheCarrancha takes little notice, except by bobbing its head.Although the Carranchas frequently assemble in numbers,they are not gregarious; for in desert places they may beseen solitary, or more commonly by pairs.

The Carranchas are said to be very crafty, and to stealgreat numbers of eggs. They attempt, also, together withthe Chimango, to pick off the scabs from the sore backs ofhorses and mules. The poor animal, on the one hand, withits ears down and its back arched; and, on the other, thehovering bird, eyeing at the distance of a yard the disgustingmorsel, form a picture, which has been described by CaptainHead with his own peculiar spirit and accuracy. Thesefalse eagles most rarely kill any living bird or animal; andtheir vulture-like, necrophagous habits are very evident toany one who has fallen asleep on the desolate plains ofPatagonia, for when he wakes, he will see, on each surroundinghillock, one of these birds patiently watching him with anevil eye: it is a feature in the landscape of these countries,which will be recognised by every one who has wanderedover them. If a party of men go out hunting with dogsand horses, they will be accompanied, during the day, byseveral of these attendants. After feeding, the uncoveredcraw protrudes; at such times, and indeed generally, theCarrancha is an inactive, tame, and cowardly bird. Itsflight is heavy and slow, like that of an English rook. Itseldom soars; but I have twice seen one at a great heightgliding through the air with much ease. It runs (incontradistinction to hopping), but not quite so quickly as someof its congeners. At times the Carrancha is noisy, but isnot generally so: its cry is loud, very harsh and peculiar, andmay be likened to the sound of the Spanish guttural g, followedby a rough double r r; when uttering this cry itelevates its head higher and higher, till at last, with itsbeak wide open, the crown almost touches the lower part ofthe back. This fact, which has been doubted, is quite true;I have seen them several times with their heads backwardsin a completely inverted position. To these observations Imay add, on the high authority of Azara, that the Carranchafeeds on worms, shells, slugs, grasshoppers, and frogs; thatit destroys young lambs by tearing the umbilical cord; andthat it pursues the Gallinazo, till that bird is compelled tovomit up the carrion it may have recently gorged. Lastly,Azara states that several Carranchas, five or six together,will unite in chase of large birds, even such as herons. Allthese facts show that it is a bird of very versatile habits andconsiderable ingenuity.

The Polyborus Chimango is considerably smaller than thelast species. It is truly omnivorous, and will eat even bread;and I was assured that it materially injures the potato cropsin Chiloe, by stocking up the roots when first planted. Ofall the carrion-feeders it is generally the last which leavesthe skeleton of a dead animal, and may often be seen withinthe ribs of a cow or horse, like a bird in a cage. Anotherspecies is the Polyborus Novae Zelandiae, which is exceedinglycommon in the Falkland Islands. These birds in manyrespects resemble in their habits the Carranchas. They liveon the flesh of dead animals and on marine productions; andon the Ramirez rocks their whole sustenance must dependon the sea. They are extraordinarily tame and fearless, andhaunt the neighborhood of houses for offal. If a huntingparty kills an animal, a number soon collect and patientlyawait, standing on the ground on all sides. After eating,their uncovered craws are largely protruded, giving them adisgusting appearance. They readily attack wounded birds:a cormorant in this state having taken to the shore, wasimmediately seized on by several, and its death hastenedby their blows. The Beagle was at the Falklands onlyduring the summer, but the officers of the Adventure, whowere there in the winter, mention many extraordinary instancesof the boldness and rapacity of these birds. Theyactually pounced on a dog that was lying fast asleep closeby one of the party; and the sportsmen had difficulty inpreventing the wounded geese from being seized before theireyes. It is said that several together (in this respectresembling the Carranchas) wait at the mouth of a rabbit-hole,and together seize on the animal when it comes out. Theywere constantly flying on board the vessel when in the harbour;and it was necessary to keep a good look out to preventthe leather being torn from the rigging, and the meat orgame from the stern. These birds are very mischievous andinquisitive; they will pick up almost anything from theground; a large black glazed hat was carried nearly a mile,as was a pair of the heavy balls used in catching cattle. Mr.Usborne experienced during the survey a more severe loss,in their stealing a small Kater's compass in a red moroccoleather case, which was never recovered. These birds are,moreover, quarrelsome and very passionate; tearing up thegrass with their bills from rage. They are not truly gregarious;they do not soar, and their flight is heavy and clumsy;on the ground they run extremely fast, very much likepheasants. They are noisy, uttering several harsh cries, oneof which is like that of the English rook, hence the sealersalways call them rooks. It is a curious circumstance that,when crying out, they throw their heads upwards and backwards,after the same manner as the Carrancha. They buildin the rocky cliffs of the sea-coast, but only on the smalladjoining islets, and not on the two main islands: this is asingular precaution in so tame and fearless a bird. The sealerssay that the flesh of these birds, when cooked, is quitewhite, and very good eating; but bold must the man be whoattempts such a meal.

We have now only to mention the turkey-buzzard (Vulturaura), and the Gallinazo. The former is found whereverthe country is moderately damp, from Cape Horn to NorthAmerica. Differently from the Polyborus Brasiliensis andChimango, it has found its way to the Falkland Islands. Theturkey-buzzard is a solitary bird, or at most goes in pairs. Itmay at once be recognised from a long distance, by its lofty,soaring, and most elegant flight. lt is well known to be atrue carrion-feeder. On the west coast of Patagonia, amongthe thickly-wooded islets and broken land, it lives exclusivelyon what the sea throws up, and on the carcasses of deadseals. Wherever these animals are congregated on the rocks,there the vultures may be seen. The Gallinazo (Cathartesatratus) has a different range from the last species, as itnever occurs southward of lat. 41 degs. Azara states thatthere exists a tradition that these birds, at the time of theconquest, were not found near Monte Video, but that theysubsequently followed the inhabitants from more northerndistricts.At the present day they are numerous in the valleyof the Colorado, which is three hundred miles due south of MonteVideo. It seems probable that this additional migration hashappened since the time of Azara. The Gallinazo generallyprefers a humid climate, or rather the neighbourhood offresh water; hence it is extremely abundant in Brazil andLa Plata, while it is never found on the desert and aridplains of Northern Patagonia, excepting near some stream.These birds frequent the whole Pampas to the foot of theCordillera, but I never saw or heard of one in Chile; in Peruthey are preserved as scavengers. These vultures certainlymay be called gregarious, for they seem to have pleasure insociety, and are not solely brought together by the attractionof a common prey. On a fine day a flock may often beobserved at a great height, each bird wheeling round andround without closing its wings, in the most gracefulevolutions. This is clearly performed for the mere pleasure ofthe exercise, or perhaps is connected with their matrimonialalliances.

I have now mentioned all the carrion-feeders, exceptingthe condor, an account of which will be more appropriatelyintroduced when we visit a country more congenial to itshabits than the plains of La Plata.

In a broad band of sand-hillocks which separate theLaguna del Potrero from the shores of the Plata, at thedistance of a few miles from Maldonado, I found a group ofthose vitrified, siliceous tubes, which are formed by lightningentering loose sand. These tubes resemble in every particularthose from Drigg in Cumberland, described in theGeological Transactions.

The internal surface is completely vitrified, glossy, andsmooth. A small fragment examined under the microscopeappeared, from the number of minute entangled air or perhapssteam bubbles, like an assay fused before the blowpipe.The sand is entirely, or in greater part, siliceous; but somepoints are of a black colour, and from their glossy surfacepossess a metallic lustre. The thickness of the wall of thetube varies from a thirtieth to a twentieth of an inch, andoccasionally even equals a tenth. On the outside the grainsof sand are rounded, and have a slightly glazed appearance:I could not distinguish any signs of crystallization. In asimilar manner to that described in the Geological Transactions,the tubes are generally compressed, and have deeplongitudinal furrows, so as closely to resemble a shrivelledvegetable stalk, or the bark of the elm or cork tree. Theircircumference is about two inches, but in some fragments,which are cylindrical and without any furrows, it is as muchas four inches. The compression from the surrounding loosesand, acting while the tube was still softened from theeffects of the intense heat, has evidently caused the creasesor furrows. Judging from the uncompressed fragments, themeasure or bore of the lightning (if such a term may be used)must have been about one inch and a quarter. At Paris, M.Hachette and M. Beudant

The tubes, as I have already remarked, enter the sandnearly in a vertical direction. One, however, which was lessregular than the others, deviated from a right line, at themost considerable bend, to the amount of thirty-three degrees.From this same tube, two small branches, about afoot apart, were sent off; one pointed downwards, and theother upwards. This latter case is remarkable, as the electricfluid must have turned back at the acute angle of 26 degs.,to the line of its main course. Besides the four tubes whichI found vertical, and traced beneath the surface, there wereseveral other groups of fragments, the original sites of whichwithout doubt were near. All occurred in a level area ofshifting sand, sixty yards by twenty, situated among somehigh sand-hillocks, and at the distance of about half a milefrom a chain of hills four or five hundred feet in height. Themost remarkable circumstance, as it appears to me, in thiscase as well as in that of Drigg, and in one described byM. Ribbentrop in Germany, is the number of tubes foundwithin such limited spaces. At Drigg, within an area offifteen yards, three were observed, and the same numberoccurred in Germany. In the case which I have described,certainly more than four existed within the space of thesixty by twenty yards. As it does not appear probable thatthe tubes are produced by successive distinct shocks, we mustbelieve that the lightning, shortly before entering the ground,divides itself into separate branches.

The neighbourhood of the Rio Plata seems peculiarly subjectto electric phenomena. In the year 1793,