INTRODUCTION. 5 



The Argentine officials in Buenos Aires were extremely kind and fur- 

 nished us with free transportation on their transport boats from that city 

 to the various ports of call on the coast of Patagonia and return. 



At Gallegos, the capital of the territory of Santa Cruz and our head- 

 quarters while in Patagonia, we were made especially welcome by Gov- 

 ernor Edelmiro Mayer and his amiable wife, and given every assistance 

 possible by the genial secretary, Senor Juan D. Aubone, and the chief of 

 police, Senor Cornelius Villegrand. 



Last, but by no means of least importance to the final success of the 

 undertaking was the universal and kindly hospitality shown us by the 

 Patagonian estancieros wherever met with. The generous assistance of 

 these homely people contributed much to our success, and the names of 

 Halliday, Felton, Rudd, Montes, Fernandez, Kyle, McCoy and others will 

 long be remembered by us, reviving memories of welcome and good cheer 

 in the midst of the interesting, but, to say the least, somewhat cheerless 

 three years, passed as wandering naturalists on the Patagonian plains. 



To Mr. W. E. D. Scott the writer is especially indebted for the correct 

 identification of the birds mentioned in the present volume, while Dr. 

 George Macloskie has identified a number of the plants and Dr. A. E. 

 Ortmann has identified for me a number of the Crustacea mentioned in the 

 Narrative. The illustrations in this volume are from photographs by the 

 author. 



