181 



tail is slralglit and rounded at the base^ but to- 

 wards the end becomes flattened and expantied 

 like a spatula ; \i is about two inches in breadth^ 

 and the edges are notched like a saw. 



I'iic only serpeiit of Chili is that known to na- 

 turalists by the name of coluber esculapii. It is 

 striped with blacky yellow, and white^ sometimes 

 mingled with brown. The largest that I have 

 seen was not more than three feet in lengih ; it is 

 perfectly IiarnilesSj and the peasants handle it 

 without the least apprehension. 



Sect. IV. Fi.sJies. The various kinds of escu- 

 lent fish, found on the coast cf Chili, are by tlie 

 fishermen computed to be seventy-si xv, the most 

 of which differ from those of the northern hemis- 

 phere, and appear to be peculiar to that sea. 

 There are many, however, that are merely 

 varieties of species that are common to almost all 

 seas. Such, among the amphibious or cartila- 

 ginous fishes, are the ray, the torpedo, srate, 

 dog-fish, saw-iish, fishing-frog, and old-\\!fe; 

 and among the spinous fislies, the eh'cirical eel., 

 the conger, the sword-fi>h, the cod, thewhiliiig. 

 the sole, the turbot, the dorado, the boiiilo, the 

 tunny, the mackarel, the roach, the barbel, the 

 mulLt, the shad, the pilchard, the anchovy, and 

 several others. 



"\\ iu'Hif r the vast numbers of fish on the corr-r 

 Ci Chiii, arc owing to some peculiar local cau-e-. 



