VOYAGE OF THE CHANTICLEER. 381 



to the little delicate green snake, which does not exceed four 

 inches. Rio is tolerably supplied with fish. The shrimps are 

 very large, and, when made into pies, are an excellent dish. — 

 Vol. i. p. 51. 



At Monte Video immense quantities of snails are sold in the 

 markets, and are used for soup. The birds are remarkable for 

 their beautiful plumage. The Rhea, or American ostrich, is 

 common, both in a wild and domesticated state, and may fre- 

 quently be seen bounding over the plains with remarkable 

 swiftness. This bird lays three or four eggs in the month of 

 October, which are to be had in the markets, and are used for 

 domestic purposes ; they generally weigh about a pound and 

 a quarter each ; and the country people make a custard of the 

 yolk, which they bake in the shell among wood embers. Wild 

 swans, vultures, owls, kites, kawks, parrots, woodpeckers, 

 rose-breasted thrushes, and a variety of elegant finches, are 

 common, besides the Loccia cardinalis, or cardinal-bird, so 

 called from a tuft of feathers on the head. Game and fish are 

 plentiful.— Vol. i. p. 91. 



Our author gives a very detailed account of the natural his- 

 tory of Staten Island, situate near the extreme southern point 

 of South America Of mammalia he found there two species 

 of seal, the otter, the rat, and the mouse. The penguins of 

 different species, ducks, and the albatross, seem to have been 

 the only birds. The rocks abounded with muscles and limpets. 

 The mullet appears to have been the only fish discovered. In 

 using the dredge, pieces of wood were frequently brought up, 

 bored in every direction by the Teredo navalis, a worm varying 

 in length from two to six inches, and from a quarter of an inch to 

 an inch in circumference. It is pale white, smooth, and notannu- 

 lated. The anterior extremity has a slender, double, extensile, 

 cleft proboscis, or mouth-piece, which the creature has the power 

 of thrusting forward to a considerable length from it. This 

 proboscis is of a flesh colour, and finely pointed. From the neck 

 or anterior portion of the body, proceed two plumated processes, 

 which are firm and long, well articulated, and about two inches 

 in length. These consist of a footstalk or pedicle, firmly 

 implanted into the sides of the worm, and the other half 

 terminated by a plano-convex doubly-feathered edge. The 

 plane surfaces of these feathered borers are applied together, 

 and, by a semi-volution, work at first a small hole; till, getting 



NO. IV. VOL. IV. 3 D 



