VIZCACHA-HUNTING AND GIANT SNAKES 399 



to our train, thus avoiding their being dumped on the huge 

 piles, and perhaps lost. 



In the early morning we reached Quimili, at which place 

 a siding branches off to Tintina; most of the immigrants 

 went in this direction. The country was all flat and covered 

 with grass. Later on clumps of forest appeared which grew 

 larger and denser as we went farther east. There were 

 numerous stops but no towns of any importance. At 

 2.30 p. m., the train halted at Avia Terai, and we were soon 

 encamped in the rear of one of the two huts comprising 

 that station. 



About all we could see from our abode was an immense 

 area covered with tall weeds, surrounded by dense forest. 

 Sand-flies, called polvorinos, filled the air like flecks of dust 

 so that we had to keep a smudge going most of the time. 

 The people said there was a great deal of malaria in the 

 neighborhood, and one look into their faces was ample to 

 substantiate the statement. Usually it was very hot; it 

 rained most of the time, but occasionally the nights were 

 very cold — an altogether disagreeable combination of 

 weather. 



One of our trunks, containing all the instruments, had 

 mysteriously disappeared from the baggage-car, so we had 

 only a pocket-knife with which to work; but, by putting 

 in longer hours we managed to keep up to our average daily 

 number in preparing specimens. We gave the conductor 

 of a passing train a tip of several pesos, and on his next 

 run he brought us the missing trunk, saying that he had 

 found it at a station a few miles below. 



It was impossible to explore the country as thoroughly 

 as we should have liked on account of the almost incessant 

 rain. When the downpour did stop, which was at dusk, 

 flocks of large, white-bellied night-hawks appeared and cir- 

 cled above the grass, catching insects. They were beauti- 

 ful creatures, and always came back to the same restricted 

 areas to feed on small black beetles that flew up in great 

 numbers from the grass. As darkness settled over the 



