160 EXCURSION TO ST. FE. 



but in Banda Oriental it is its own workman. Du- 

 ring the open day, but more especially in the even- 

 ing, these birds may be seen in every direction 

 standing frequently by pairs on the hillock near 

 their buiTOws. If disturbed, they either enter the 

 hole, or, uttering a shrill, harsh cry, move with a 

 remarkably undulatory flight to a short distance, 

 and then turning round, steadily gaze at their pur- 

 suer. Occasionally in the evening they may be 

 heard hooting. I found in the stomachs of two 

 which I opened the remains of mice, and I one 

 day saw a small snake killed and carried away. It 

 is said that snakes are their common prey during 

 the daytime. I may here mention, as showing on 

 what various kinds of food owls subsist, that a spe- 

 cies killed among the islets of the Chonos Ai'chi- 

 pelago had its stomach full of good-sized crabs. 

 In India* there is a fishing genus of owls, which 

 likewise catches crabs. 



In the evening we crossed the Rio AiTecife on a 

 simple raft made of barrels lashed together, and 

 slept at the post-house on the other side. I this 

 day paid horse-hire for thirty-one leagues ; and 

 although the sun was glaring hot, I was but little 

 fatigued. Wlien Captain Head talks of riding fifty 

 leagues a day, I do not imagine the distance i,3 

 equal to 150 English miles. At all events, the 

 thirty-one leagues was only 76 miles in a straight 

 line, and in an open country I should think four 

 additional miles for turnings would be a sufficient 

 allowance. 



2Qth and 30th. — We continued to ride over plains 

 of the same character. At San Nicolas I first saw 

 the noble river of the Parana. At the foot of the 

 cliff on which the town stands, some large vessels 

 were at anchor. Before arriving at Rozario, we 

 * Journal of Asiatic Soc, vol. v., p. 363. 



