356 Extracts from the 



less on one leg, and with their long necks coiled up on their 

 shoulders. Finally, picking his way daintily amongst the 

 tufts of long grass, might be seen a great Stork on the out- 

 look for snakes or any such animals as might be tempted 

 out of their winter sleep by the bright sunshine. When 

 we left Neuve the air was crisp and cold, the turf was 

 whitened by a crust of hoar-frost, and it was one of the 

 nearest approaches to one of Dr. Macfarlane's favourite 

 " bracing " mornings that I have experienced since my 

 arrival. Now, however, as the sun rose in the sky, the air 

 became more genial, and I was enabled to extract myself 

 from the thick rug in which I was enveloped. As we went 

 along we would have a cloud of Lapwings flying around us, 

 uttering harsh screams of " teru-teru." They were not 

 unlike our British Lapwing, but were larger, and were armed 

 with a strong and sharp-looking spur, of a pink colour, on 

 each wing. Flying about and feeding on the turf were 

 many Starling-like Icteridse, the one with a yellow breast, 

 the other with a breast and gorget of the most vivid scarlet. 

 Altogether I was immensely struck with the wonderful rich- 

 ness of bird-life as compared with what I had been accus- 

 tomed to at home. 



However, to resume. About 12.30 p.m. this delightful 

 journey was brought to an end by our arrival at Mate 

 Grande. After devoting my attention to that prosaic but 

 necessary and enjoyable institution, a hearty breakfast, I set 

 out on a tour of inspection. Of this and of succeeding 

 days' walks, I shall now give you briefly the results, premis- 

 ing that my luggage arrived all right about a week later than 

 I did. The estancia-house is a one-storeyed cottage-like 

 erection, standing on the summit of a rounded elevation and 

 surrounded by a thick plantation to break the force of the 

 cold winds of winter. The houses about here are mostly 

 " ranchos," i. e. they are built of a framework of poplar- 

 trunks,, with walls made of mud and straw, mud floor, and 

 roof thatched with large rushes. This estancia-house, how- 

 ever, boasts of a wood floor and a galvanized iron roof. It 

 has three rooms — a large dining-room, and a small bed-room 



