THE I'UAIA. 347 



rived at a house near Navedad, on the sea-coast, 

 where a rich Haciendero gave us lodgings. I 

 stayed here the two ensuing days, and although 

 very unwell, managed to collect fi'om the tertiary 

 formation some marine .shells. 



2^th.. — Our course was now directed towards 

 Valpfu-aiso, which with great difficulty I reached 

 on the 27th, and was there confined to my bed till 

 the end. of October. During this time I was an 

 inmate in Mr. Corfield's house, whose kindness to 

 me I do not know how to express. 



I will here add a few observations on some of 

 the animals and birds of Chile. The Puma, or 

 South American Lion, is not imcommon. This 

 animal has a wide geographical range, being found 

 from the equatorial forests, throughout the deserts 

 of Patagonia, as far south as the damp and cold 

 latitudes (53° to 54°) of Tierra del Fuego. 1 have 

 seen its footprints in the Cordillera of central Chile, 

 at an elevation of at least 10,000 feet. In La Plata 

 the puma preys chiefly on deer, ostriches, bizca- 

 cha, and other small quadrupeds ; it there seldom 

 attacks cattle or horses, and most rarely man. In 

 Chile, however, it destroys many young horses and 

 cattle, owing, probably, to the scarcity of other 

 quadrupeds : I heard likewise of two men and a 

 woman who had been thus killed. It is asserted 

 that the puma always kills its prey by springing on 

 the shoulders, and then drawing back the head with 

 one of its paws until the vertebra? break : I have 

 seen in Patagonia the skeletons of guanacos with 

 their necks thus dislocated. 



The puma, alter eating its fill, covers the carcass 

 ^rith many large bushes, and lies do^%ni to watch it. 

 This habit is often the cause of its being discover- 

 ed, for the condors, wheeling in the air, every now 



