16 



I did not spend many days at Valdivia but having heard 

 that Auracaria-woods, which I wanted to visit, were to 

 be found near a place called Puren more to the north, 

 we decided to take train again to a place called Los Sauces 

 on the railway. 



From the train driving from Valdivia to Renaico I saw 

 a Pigmy Oui^ Glaucidium nanum sitting on the telegraph 

 wire, little troops of Black Molothrus^ some Zena'ida Doves 

 and, flying over the tops of the trees, large Winecolourecl 

 Pigeons. 



Near Metrenco I saw for the first time a flock of Mili- 

 tary Starlings whose brillant scarlet breasts made quite a 

 glow of colours in the landscape. I also noticed a male 

 of Peristera cinerea, a Caracara and lots of Chimangos 

 along the roads as usual. A Cathartes aura was also seen. 



At Los Sauces we left the train with the intention to 

 spend the night there, but no lodgings being obtainable 

 we decided to hire horses and go on to Puren at once 

 where a hostelry was said to exist. 



This arranged and the horses being there after I'/j 

 hour, we rode on into the open country following a wide 

 waggontrack amidst enclosed fields. 



On the road the Chimangos were as numerous as ever 

 and it was quite remarkable to see how tame they were. 

 They might have been the pigeons around St. Pauls Cathe- 

 dral in London. 



They differed in size in a most striking way. Some 

 were as large as a Black Crow whilst other would not 

 exceed a small Tame Pigeon in size. One or two Caracaras 

 were also seen but these, being often persecuted, were 

 much wilder. 



The country around was very barren. On some or most 

 of the fields the crops had been gathered, other tracts of 

 country were supposed to be pastures but were mostly 

 dried out beyond recognition. 



Only occasionally in a damp hollow was some green pasture. 



Our way led us slowly uphill and we crossed some 

 streams. 



Notes from the Leyden M.useum, Vol. XXXV. 



