1868.] LETTER FROM DR. R. O. CUNNINGHAM. 185 



patience. The following brief observations, you will perceive, relate 

 almost entirely to the zoology of the eastern part of the Strait. 



"The Puma {Felis concolor) must be tolerably plentiful in the open 

 plains, as 1 met with several skulls and portions of skeletons in vari- 

 ous localities, and I saw two live young ones which the Patagonians 

 had captured and presented to the Governor of Sandy Point. Like 

 Mr. Darwin, I have seen numerous skeletons of Guanacoes with their 

 necks dislocated, apparently from the attack of the Puma. Two 

 species of Fox are abundant, a grey and a tawny-coloured one, I 

 presume the Cams azarcB and C. magella7iicus. The Skunk or Zo- 

 rillo is also frequently met with, and is much valued by the Pata- 

 gonians for its beautifully striped skin. The smell of one that was 

 killed on one occasion when I was camping out reminded me of 

 strong assafcetida. I did not attempt to skin it, as I should have 

 been regarded in the light of a leper for days afterwards. Several 

 species of Seal occur in the Strait ; and Dungeness Point seems to 

 be a favourite resort of the Sea-Lion {Otaria jubata), as we came 

 across numerous putrefying specimens, in addition to seeing several 

 live individuals off that locality. Of Cetacea there are also several 

 species, among which the Delphinus bivittatus is conspicuous from its 

 black and white bands. Guanacoes we met with in abundance both 

 on the Fuegian and Patagonian sides of the Strait ; on the latter side 

 especially we saw some very large herds. I observed a black-faced 

 variety at Philip Bay, on the Fuegian coast. I have nothing to add 

 to our knowledge of the habits of this interesting animal. Like Mr. 

 Darwin, I have noticed the combination of shyness and wariness with 

 great curiosity in its character, and I have also frequently observed 

 their habit, noticed by him, of dropping their dung on successive 

 days in the same defined heap. Their flesh, which we ate on several 

 occasions, is white and good, though not equal to that of the Rhea, 

 which we highly appreciated. I met with several species of Rodents, 

 all of them MuridcB ; and, the most abundant by far, the Tucu-Tucu 

 {Ctenomys magellanicus), which tunnels great tracts of ground in 

 the open country. The innumerable hillocks resulting therefrom 

 render walking very fatiguing, owing to their giving way under the 

 fset when trod on. The animal itself I frequently heard giving vent 

 to its peculiar sonorous sound in its subterranean retreat, and one 

 bright sunny day, when taking a walk in the neighbourhood of Cape 

 Gregory, I saw many specimens basking in the heat at the mouth of 

 their holes. 



•' I shall say nothing about the birds here, as I have made them 

 ll\e subject of a letter to Prof. Newton of Cambridge. Of reptiles 

 1 have only encountered one species, a small Lizard, which exists 

 in tolerable plenty on the flat open country on both sides of the 

 Strait, one specimen having been also procured in a wood at Sandy 

 Point. I have not been very successful as regards the fishes. A 

 Myxine occurred rather plentifully at Sandy Point, where I also 

 got a small Raia ; and an Acanthias was caught off Dungeness. The 

 above mentioned, with a fish allied to Uranoscopus obtained at Port 

 Gallant, and various species found in rock-pools in various localities, 



