28 THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



any further description. Where ruminants and rodents abound 

 it may easily be imagined that beasts of prey will not be want- 

 ing. The cunning fox (Canis Azarce) waylays both the chin- 

 chillas and the water-birds ; and, impelled by hunger, the 

 I*uma, or American lion, ascends even to the borders of eternal 

 snow in quest of the vicuiia and the deer. But the monarch of 

 the Puna is unquestionably tlie mighty condor, who, soaring 

 over the highest peaks of the Andes, sees on one side the 

 Pacific rolling its heavy breakers against the coast, and on the 

 other the Maraiion vanishing in the hazy distance of the primi- 

 tive forest. 



The frequent showers and snow-falls of the Puna naturally 

 give rise to numerous swamps and lagunes, which afford nourish- 

 ment to an abundance of birds, — such as the beautiful snow- 

 white Huachua goose {Chloephaga melanoptera), with dark- 

 green wings of a metallic lustre ; the licli, a species of plover ; 

 tlie ibis ; the long-legged flamingo ; the Quiulla gull (Larus 

 serranus), and the gigantic coot [Fulica gigantea), which, un- 

 able to fly, dives in the cold waters, and builds its nest on the 

 solitary stones which rise above the surface. 



To the aboriginal animals of the Puna man has added the 

 horse, the ox, the dog, and the sheep. In the more sheltered 

 valleys there are estates possessing from 60,000 to 80,000 

 sheep, and from 400 to 500 oxen. During the wet season the 

 herds are driven into the Altos or highest regions, often to a 

 lieight of 15,000 feet; but when the frosty nights of the dry 

 period of the year parch the grass, they are obliged to descend 

 to the swampy valleys, where they have much to suffer from 

 Imnger. In many parts of the Puna, wild bulls render travel- 

 ling very dangerous, as they sometimes rush upon man without 

 any previous notice, though they generally announce their ap- 

 proach by a hoarse bellowing. But even then it is almost 

 impossible to escape them in the open plain, and more than 

 once Tschudi was only able, by a well-aimed shot, to save him- 

 self from the attack of one of these formidable animals. 



Though not so dangerous, the half-wild Puna dogs {Canis 

 Tngce, Tschudi) are extremely troublesome to the traveller, — 

 false, spiteful animals, which ferociously attack enemies far 

 stronger than themselves ; and, like the bull- dog, will rather 

 suffer themselves to be cut to pieces than retreat. They have a 



