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Dec. 1826. NATURAL HISTORY. 5 
until again warned of the approach of danger by their vigilant 
© look-out.” 
Another peculiarity of the guanaco is, the habit of resorting 
to particular spots for natural purposes. ‘This is mentioned in 
the ‘ Dictionnaire d’Histoire Naturelle,’ in the ‘ Encyclopédie 
Méthodique,’ as well as other works. 
In one place we found the bones of thirty-one guanacoes 
collected within a space of thirty yards, perhaps the result of 
an encampment of Indians, as evident traces of them were 
observed ; among which were a human jaw-bone, and a piece 
of agate ingeniously chipped into the shape of a spear-head. 
The fox, which we did not take, appeared to be small, and 
similar to a new species afterwards found by us in the Strait of 
Magalhaens. 
The cavia* (or, as it is called by Narborough, Byron, and 
Wood, the hare, an animal from which it differs both in appear- 
ance and habits, as well as flavour), makes‘a good dish ; and so 
does the armadillo, which our people called the shell-pig.+ 
This little animal is found abundantly about the low land, and 
lives in burrows underground ; several were taken by the 
seamen, and, when cooked in their shells, were savoury and 
wholesome. 
Teal were abundant upon the marshy grounds. A few par- 
tridges, doves, and snipes, a rail, and some hawks were shot. 
The few sea-birds that were observed consisted of two species 
of gulls, a grebe and a penguin (Aptenodytes Magellanica). 
We found two species of snakes and several kinds of lizards. 
Fish were scarce, as were also insects; of the last, our collec- 
* Dasyprocta patachonica : it is the Patagonian cavy of Dr. Shaw, and 
Pennant’s Quadr., tab. 39, and the liévre pumpa of D’Azara. M. Desma- 
rest thinks that if the teeth were examined it would form a new genus, for 
which he proposes the name of Dolichotis (Ency. Meth. Mamm. p. 359). 
At present he has, from its external character, placed it amongst the genus 
Dasyprocta (agouti). The only one that was taken was not preserved, 
which prevented me from ascertaining the fact. 
+ Dasypus minutus, Desm. Tatou pichiy, or tatou septiéme of D’ Azara, 
&c. &c. It has seven bands. 
