in 



welglif, that were of an excellent flavour. Lob- 

 sters are also found in such quantities on the 

 san)e island, that the fishermen have no other 

 trouble to take them, than to strew a little meat 

 upon the shore, and when they come to devour 

 liiis bait, as they do in immense numbers, to 

 turn them on their backs with a stick. By this 

 simple method many thousands are taken an- 

 nually, and the tails, which are in high estima- 

 tion, dried and sent to Chili. 



Of the fresh water crabs, the most remarkable 

 is that called the mason (cancer cementarius). It 

 is about eight inches long, of a brown colour 

 striped with red; the flesh is very white, and 

 preferable to that of any other species of river or 

 sea crab. They are found in abundance in almost 

 all the rivers and brooks, on whose shores thev 

 build themselves, with clay, a small cylindrical 

 tenement, which rises six inches above the sur- 

 face of the ground, but admits the water, hv 

 means of a subterranean caiial extending to the 

 bed of the river. They are readilv caught by 

 letting down a basket or osier pot, v itb a piece 

 of meat in it, into the water. 



The i!)sects which I have noticed in Chili 

 were In geiicial like those of Italy; a great num- 

 ber, lioweverj appear to be very distinct, and to 

 merit a particular description, Ainong the latter 

 is a singular species of the c/n\!j-'^:ouicla, (chry.^o- 

 mela maulica) which is found upon the flowers 



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