54 HUNTING EXTINCT ANIMALS 



elephants for their oil, the seals for fur. In an attempt 

 to prevent the imminent extinction of these forms, the 

 Argentine Government passed a general act prohibiting 

 commercial fishing along the coast, but as they did not 

 have police boats, the fur seals and most of the sea ele- 

 phants were, nevertheless, practically destroyed. As the 

 prohibition against fishing still remains, the result has 

 been that there are no fisheries along the coast, in spite 

 of the fact that the sea is full of good fishes for the purpose. 

 One in particular, the peccare, comes in each spring to 

 spawn, approaching so close to shore, that when the tides 

 go out, many are caught in the pools, and the natives 

 along the shore come out and spear or net them in consid- 

 erable numbers, drying them in the sun much as cod is 

 dried in Nova Scotia and elsewhere. They are very good 

 eating and undoubtedly of considerable commercial value, 

 were the people free to catch them unhampered. As it 

 is, in some of the stores we were offered northern codfish of 

 unknown vintage, at high prices. There are several other 

 edible fishes along the coast, in particular a herring along 

 the southern part. We heard of two concessions to fish 

 for market, but compared with the possibilities that is 

 very little; and the entire absence of fishing craft, of 

 all small boats, in fact, strikes the traveler as curious. 



Just back of the raised beach where we were lunching, 

 there was a long lagoon of brackish water, and on it were 

 numerous geese, ducks, gulls, and flamingoes. Wherever 

 there is water the geese and ducks abound, and all along 

 the seashore the ducks were a striking feature of the bird 

 life, often occurring in flocks of from fifty to over one 

 hundred, sitting on the water twenty- five to fifty feet from 

 shore, patiently watching for their meal of small fishes, etc. 



About four we reached the tiny seaport of Cabo Rasso, 

 where we laid in provisions, now much-needed, for it had 

 taken three times as long as we expected to reach this place. 

 Coming in Billy shot a flamingo which I skinned out after 



