PATAGONIA 317 



America. The third region is that of the Cordilleras, and is far 

 richer than the other two, both as to species and in the total 

 amount of vegetation. 



Throughout the first two regions trees are unknown, the vegeta- 

 tion consisting entirely of grasses, herbs, and a few small shrubs, 

 never attaining a height of more than a few feet. Among the 

 more common of these shrubs are two small resinous evergreens 

 with a decided odor of pitch. They belong to different families, 

 and are distinguished by the inhabitants according to the color 

 of the foliage as " mate verde " and " mate negra ; " the}^ form 

 the " South American tea," which is largel}^ used in Patagonia 

 and elsewhere. A species of Berheris (" Calafate ") with bright 

 yellow flowers and dark-purple, rather tart, edible fruit is com- 

 mon everywhere, while along the watercourses far in the interior 

 the incense bush and a species of leguminous shrub, often attain- 

 ing a height of five or six feet, are not uncommon. The dead 

 trunks and branches of these shrul)s provide sufficient fuel for 

 the traveler in Patagonia. 



In the Cordilleras forests abound, consisting for the most part 

 of two species of beech (Fagus antarctica and F. beiuloides), the 

 winter's bai*k (Drhnysvnnteri), and toward the north a few species 

 of conifers. On the eastern slopes of the mountains the vegeta- 

 tion is not nearly so varied as- on the western, and in man}' places 

 over vast areas only one species of tree is to be found, viz., Fagus 

 antarctica, the deciduous beech. This condition prevails espe- 

 cially aljout the headwaters of Rio Chico and Rio Santa Cruz, 

 and on all the upper tributaries of Mayer river, a stream of no 

 mean size which we discovered in this region flowing to the Pa- 

 cific, and named in honor of General Edelmiro Mayer, the late 

 governor of the territory of Santa Cruz. 



Throughout all the forests of the Cordilleras mosses, hepaticas, 

 ferns, and lichens occur in the greatest profusion. The stones, 

 trunks of fallen trees, the bases of those still standing, and even 

 the ground itself, are often covered to a depth of several inches 

 with these plants, forming a soft carpet of rich colors exceedingly 

 pleasing to the eye, and surpassing in beauty any exhibition of 

 foliage plants, if I may so call them, that I have ever seen. 



The faunas of the plains and mountain regions differ more 

 widely than do the floras, for in each are found species wanting 

 in the other. The most striking and most abundant mammals 

 met with over the plains are the guanaco (Auchenia huanacus) 

 and two species of dogs, sometimes erroneously called foxes 



