LAKE REGION OF WESTERN ARGENTINA 423 



practically penniless. Of course there were still condors in 

 the mountains — in fact, he knew of a ledge where upward 

 of eight hundred congregated to spend the nights, but the 

 price of feathers had gone down fifty per cent on account 

 of the war. He ended his speech in a very dramatic manner: 

 "What," he said, "me go out and slaughter such a won- 

 derful, magnificent, and rare bird as the condor for ten pesos 

 each? No, sefior! Not me." 



About the only animal that was abundant near Men- 

 doza was the jack-rabbit, introduced into the Argentine 

 some forty years ago. It has increased to such an extent 

 as to be harmful, and has spread over the entire southern 

 part of the plains country. Many are killed and sold in 

 the markets under the name liebre. 



We met Doctor Chapman at Mendoza. He had come 

 from Chile over the Trans- Andean Railroad. A wire had 

 been sent us to join him at Santiago, but it arrived three 

 weeks too late to be of any service. After a few days spent 

 in taking photographs of the country and collecting ac- 

 cessories for a habitat group of the rhea, we started east- 

 ward to Buenos Aires. 



We left Mendoza at one o'clock p. m., September 3. At 

 first there was a seemingly endless succession of vineyards; 

 then a vast expanse of arid country more barren even than 

 the desert of Santiago del Estero. At midnight we left 

 the parched plains and entered the fertile wheat and graz- 

 ing lands which constitute one of Argentina's chief sources 

 of wealth and justly entitle that country to rank among 

 the producing and great nations of the New World. Com- 

 modious ranch-houses standing in fields where thousands 

 of head of live stock grazed were passed in steady succes- 

 sion. In some of the pastures hundreds of half-tamed rheas 

 fed unconcernedly among the horses and cattle. Frequently 

 we saw flocks of snowy gulls following a plough or resting 

 in a bunch on the ground; lapwings circled about with 

 angry screams, and ducks swam unconcernedly in the little 

 sloughs beside the railroad. There were also rows of solemn, 



