THE EXTINCT GROUND-SLOTH 167 



One of my first excursions at Punta Arenas 

 was a long walk on the shore towards a small 

 iron lighthouse, which marks the eastern ex- 

 tremity of the point. Hundreds of terns,* the 

 commonest sea-bird in this part of the Straits, 

 were met with. A few siskinsf were also seen ; 

 but the commonest land-bird was the above- 

 mentioned Centrites, which was in great numbers, 

 most of them being young birds. 



Chilian skuas were chasing the terns. Several 

 " quail-snipe "J were met with, feeding on a strip 

 of grass close to the sea. This remarkable bird 

 resembles a sandpiper in form, but it has a bill 

 like that of a quail. A goose, probably the kelp- 

 goose, § and the southern black-backed gull were 

 also noted. 



In several shops in the town the skins both of 

 mammals and of birds were exposed for sale. 

 These skins were worthless as specimens, as in 

 all cases the bones of the legs had been removed. 

 Cormorants 1 1 and rheas^ were shown, but the 

 most interesting exhibit was a piece of skin of the 

 extinct ground-sloth (Mylodon), a portion about 

 four inches long and two inches broad, with much 

 of the hair still attached. On enquiring the 

 price I was asked £50. This piece of skin had 

 been found with other remains in a cave, several 



* Sterna hirundinacea. f Chrysomitris barbatus. 



% Thinocorus rumicivorus. § Chloephaga mageUanica. 



II Phalacrocorax atriceps. Tf Rhea americana, 



n2 



