148 To the River Plate and Back 



set us down in a few minutes at the railway station. It 

 was a holiday. The workshops of the Museum were 

 closed, and the men who were helping us had leave of 

 absence. We had determined that it would be well to 

 embrace the opportunity to see something of the 

 Capital. We had reached La Plata in the dusk of 

 evening. Now we would for the first time see the 

 country between the two cities in the light of a 

 glorious spring morning. One of the professors of the 

 University met us at the station and kindly acted as 

 guide, philosopher, and friend. 



Shortly after leaving La Plata our attention was 

 called to the fact that the road for a distance of nine 

 miles traverses one of the great estates belonging 

 to a wealthy family, the country residence of which, 

 surrounded by a park and beautiful gardens, we passed 

 shortly afterwards. Presently we were delighted to 

 see on the right of the train scattered groups of Amer- 

 ican ostriches ranging in the fields. Some of them stood 

 and looked at the cars, as they went by, others appeared 

 to be more intent upon feeding and did not raise their 

 heads. The Professor told us that these birds are 

 preserved upon the estate, and that its owner is one of 

 a number of gentlemen who are making an effort to 

 save the species from extinction. The South American 

 ostrich, as it is called, is more properly known as the 

 rhea (Rhea Americana (Linnaeus) ). It is not a true 

 ostrich, and is a much smaller bird than that of Africa. 

 Its plumes have been extensively used for making 

 feather-dusters, their principal use. But the supply 

 will soon be exhausted, unless the poor creatures receive 

 better protection than is now given them. On the 

 Pereyra estate there are about one hundred and fifty 

 specimens; on various other estates in the different 



