28 Mr. H. Durnford on some Birds observed 



country so little known as Patagonia. The voyage, as re- 

 gards ornithological occurrences; was to me full of interest ; 

 I only regret having been unable to procure any of the nu- 

 merous species of Petrels which constantly accompanied us, 

 Avith the exception of one, Dapt'ion capensis, so that, having 

 a very slight acquaintance with this genus, I could only super- 

 ficially observe such of them as we met with. 



The mouth of the river Chuput, which we reached, after a 

 stormy passage, early on the morning of the 31st October, is 

 in lat. 43° 20' S. For a distance of eight miles the course of 

 the river lies in a westerly direction, after that taking a gradual 

 bend to the S.S.W. Mr. Griffith and three or four of the colo- 

 nists have penetrated to a distance of 250 miles by following 

 the course of the river ; and by their compasses, two of which 

 they carried, they reckoned their furthest point was to the 

 S.S.W. of the village. I mention these particulars because 

 in some maps the course of the river is marked in a very 

 different direction ; the maps, as regards the river Chuput, 

 of course, being merely the invention of the brain. 



Forty-five miles above the village, and forty-eight from the 

 sea, the river flows between precipitous rocks, in some places 

 as much as 300 feet high, making travelling along its banks 

 impossible ; and such rocks were met with with more or less 

 frequency up to the furthest point the colonists reached. 

 The only bird Mr. Griffith saw during his trip which does 

 not occur at the colony was a Kingfisher, one specimen of 

 which was shot. The absence of this bird from the lower 

 reaches of the river may perhaps be accounted for by the 

 character of the water, which, for some distance above the 

 colony, is always thick and muddy, whereas where he jour- 

 neyed he found a clear stream. 



The valley of the Chuput varies in breadth from two to nine 

 miles, the greater portion of which is capable of cultivation 

 to a distance of barely forty-five miles from the village. The 

 geological nature of the surrounding country is such as to 

 preclude the occurreuce of very many species of birds, being 

 very uniform in character. Extensive plateaux of dry stony 

 land abound, for the most part vei'y sparsely clothed with 



