101 



CHAP. IV, 



Worms^ Insects, Reptiles, Fishes, Birds, and 

 Quadrupeds, 



Chili is not quite so abundant in animals as the 

 other countries of America. The reptiles^ for 

 instance, are but few^, and the indigenous qua- 

 drupeds do not exceed thirty-six species. The 

 classes of worms, of fishes, and of birds are 

 those that contain the greatest number of species 

 and of individuals. From my observations, 

 however, I am led to believe that insects are less 

 abundant than in Italy, and that Chili produces 

 a greater number of worms, particularly the 

 marine kind ; the whole coast of the Pacific 

 Ocean being: filled with zoonhvtes and molius- 

 cas, many of which are wholly unknown to na-* 

 turalists. 



Sect. I. MoUiiscas. The pyura (pyura^ 

 gen. nov. ) is a molliisca^ remarkable for its 

 shape and its mode of dwelling. This animal, 

 which scarcely merits the name, is about an inch 



VOL, I, M 



