50 MALDONADO chap. 



climate, with a geological formation almost identical, with 

 favourable situations and the same kind of peaty soil, yet can 

 boast of few plants deserving even the title of bushes ; whilst 

 in Tierra del Fuego it is impossible to find an acre of land not 

 covered by the densest forest. In this case, both the direction 

 of the heavy gales of wind and of the currents of the sea are 

 favourable to the transport of seeds from Tierra del Fuego, as 

 is shown by the canoes and trunks of trees drifted from that 

 country, and frequently thrown on the shores of the Western 

 Falkland. Hence perhaps it is, that there are many plants in 

 common to the two countries : but with respect to the trees 

 of Tierra del Fuego, even attempts made to transplant them 

 have failed. 



During our stay at Maldonado I collected several quadru- 

 peds, eighty kinds of birds, and many reptiles, including nine 

 species of snakes. Of the indigenous mammalia, the only one 

 now left of any size, which is common, is the Cervus campestris. 

 This deer is exceedingly abundant, often in small herds, 

 throughout the countries bordering the Plata and in Northern 

 Patagonia. If a person crawling close along the ground, slowly 

 advances towards a herd, the deer frequently, out of curiosity, 

 approach to reconnoitre him. I have by this means killed, 

 from one spot, three out of the same herd. Although so tame 

 and inquisitive, yet when approached on horseback, they are 

 exceedingly wary. In this country nobody goes on foot, and 

 the deer knows man as its enemy only when he is mounted 

 and armed with the bolas. At Bahia Blanca, a recent establish- 

 ment in Northern Patagonia, I was surprised to find how little 

 the deer cared for the noise of a gun : one day I fired ten 

 times from within eighty yards at one animal ; and it was 

 much more startled at the ball cutting up the ground than at 

 the report of the rifle. My powder being exhausted, I was 

 obliged to get up (to my shame as a sportsman be it spoken, 

 though well able to kill birds on the wing) and halloo till the 

 deer ran away. 



The most curious fact with respect to this animal, is the 

 overpoweringly strong and offensive odour which proceeds from 

 the buck. It is quite indescribable : several times whilst skin- 

 ning the specimen which is now mounted at the Zoological 

 Museum, I was almost overcome by nausea. I tied up the 



