42 WHAT MR. DARWIN SAW. 



PATAGONIA. 



animal in a state of nature, with a long slender neck and 

 fine legs. It is very common over the whole of the tem- 

 perate parts of the continent, as far south as the islands 

 near Cape Horn. It generally lives in small herds of from 

 half a dozen to thirty 'in each ; but on the banks of the 

 Santa Cruz we saw one herd which must have contained 

 at least five hundred. 



They are generally wild and extremely wary. The 

 sportsman frequently receives the first notice of their pres- 



THE GUANACO. 



ence by hearing from a long distance their peculiar shrill 

 neighing note of alarm. If he then looks attentively, he 

 will probably see the herd standing in a line on the side 

 of some distant hill. On approaching nearer, a few more 

 squeals are given, and off they set at an apparently slow, 

 but really quick canter, along some narrow beaten track to 

 a neighboring hill. If, however, by chance he abruptly 

 meets a single animal, or several together, they will gener- 



