408 Mr. E. Gibson on the Ornithology of 



We are fortunate in having several natural woods also, 

 part of tliat strip which extends from the latitude of Buenos 

 Ayres down to the Mar Chiquita (near the Sierras de Tandil) , 

 along the sea-coast, and which has heen called the woods of 

 the littoral. The " tala " (of the genus Celtis) predomi- 

 nates; but the '^coronillo^^ is abundant, and the "que- 

 brachillo^' is not uncommon, while among the brushwood 

 the elder {Sambucus australis) occupies the most prominent 

 place. 



The district is drained by a great network of freshwater 

 swamps or fens, known as " cauados," sometimes only nar- 

 row beltSj but often expanding into a superficies of some 

 scores of acres. The deepest have only about five feet of 

 water, and then perhaps another foot of mud ; but they can 

 be traversed everywhere on horseback, except at their mer- 

 gence into the tidal creeks or small rivers of the rincones. 

 They have an existent though almost imperceptible current. 

 In a very dry summer they all dry up, with the exception of 

 a few ponds in some of the principal ones. Their vegetation 

 consists of various reeds, rushes, and water-plants, the most 

 important being the " hunco,^' " durasnillo,'^ and " espadaiia," 

 all growing to a height of from five to seven feet above the 

 surface of the water. Notwithstanding their almost stag- 

 nant nature and the abundance of decomposing vegetable 

 matter contained in them, they are perfectly healthy, and 

 give off no injurious malaria. Doubtless this is to be ac- 

 counted for by the treeless plains being so frequently and 

 thoroughtly swept by the winds, and by a considerable amount 

 of salt inherent in the soil and vegetation, a good example 

 of the latter being a Salicornia, called here "jume.'^ 



In palseontological remains the district is very poor, as 

 might be inferred from its lowness. Fragments of the cara- 

 pace of the Glyptodon are occasionally found on the Atlantic 

 sea-board, among the debris scattered along the shore. There 

 are also five more or less incomplete skeletons of whales on 

 our own land alone. 



Very recently I made the interesting ethnological discovery 

 of extensive remains of Indian pottery, flints, &c. A flint 



