NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



known to botanists as Baillonia spartioides — appears 

 to be rare in Chili, as it is not among the species 

 collected by the earlier explorers of this region. 



I was interested in finding here two species of 

 Loranthus, which, unlike their congeners, grow in a 

 respectable way, depending on their own resources for 

 subsistence. The great majority of nearly four hun- 

 dred known species of this genus live as parasites on 

 the stems of other plants, but these form bushes with 

 woody roots, which apparently have not even an 

 underground connection with those of their neigh- 

 bours. When I returned to the Resguardo, laden with 

 plants, it was high time to think of starting homeward 

 to Santa Rosa. I did not much fancy travelling by 

 night over the curious road that I had followed in the 

 morning, and my coachman seemed to hold the same 

 opinion very strongly. Accordingly I soon started, 

 after cordial leave-taking, but was a little surprised 

 when, without previous warning, the driver pulled up 

 his horses at the garden gate of a substantial house, 

 which I had noticed in the morning a few hundred 

 yards below the Resguardo. Presently a young man 

 came out, and, addressing me in very fair English, 

 explained that he had written to order a carriage for 

 the following day, but would be thankful if I could 

 give him a seat to convey him to his family at Santa 

 Rosa. Of course I willingly consented, and in the 

 conversation, which was carried on alternately in 

 Spanish and English during the following three hours, 

 I gained an opportunity for some practice in a 

 language which has never been quite familiar to me. 



1 became interested in the poor young fellow, who 



