La Plata 



breed originated about the middle of the eighteenth 



century among the cattle belonging to the Indian tribes 



living to the south 



of the River Plate. 



When Darwin 



wrote, they were 



reported to be the 



commonest breed 



in the possession 



of the Indians, but 



in the vicinity of 



Buenos Aires were 



kept as curiosities. 



Dr. Bruch, the 



learned Curator" of 



Fig. 1 1 . Skull of " pug -faced 

 or Niata cow. 



Zoology at the Museum of La Plata, informs me that 

 the race is either verging upon extinction, or has 

 already become totally extinct. Although it is still 

 reported to survive in the Province of Catamarca, Dr. 

 Bruch told me that a German naturalist, who recently 

 visited Argentina for the express purpose of studying 

 these creatures and traveled widely in quest of them, 

 was unable to see or secure a single specimen. 



In the semicircular gallery beyond the collection of 

 skeletons is arranged a large assemblage of mounted 

 mammals, and still farther on the visitor comes to 

 the collection of birds. I was naturally interested in 

 closely examining everything presented to view, and 

 although upon the occasion of my first visit to the 

 Museum I was only able to give a passing glance to 

 the collections, I often returned at later times to study 

 the specimens. In the center of the building and 

 opening from the rotunda is the Gallery of Mineralogy, 

 in charge of Dr. Walther Schiller. The very extensive 



