48 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



common garden-snail {H. as;persa), was feeding. This species, 

 I was afterwards informed, was not an indigenous one, but 

 introduced, I rather think accidentally, from the Mediterranean. 

 Along the sides of the road I met with our common red 

 pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), a species of Oxalis with pretty 

 rose-coloured flowers, a white Orchid, and a few ferns, in- 

 cluding an Adiantum, The pastures in many places were in 

 a blaze of purple with a species of Echium, and on un- 

 cultivated portions of the plains a great thistle {Cynara), with 

 large bluish-purple flowers, and attaining a height of from 

 three to six feet, was everywhere abundant. We also observed 

 numerous brilliant patches of scarlet and purple Verbenas, 

 together with a variety of Leguminosa3, Compositse, etc. A 

 considerable number of birds, including one or two species of 

 hawks, swallows, a fly-catcher with a deeply-forked tail, and 

 some gray plovers, were seen ; and a few species of Lepi- 

 doptera and Coleoptera obtained. Erom the branches of some 

 willows we found hanging numerous specimens of a curious 

 insect- nest, like that which I have mentioned as seen 

 at Eio, but on a smaller scale, and I almost trod on a brown 

 snake, but did not succeed in securing it. In the course of 

 our walk, many Gauchos cantered past us on their horses, 

 and attracted our attention by the singularly picturesque 

 appearance which they presented, with their dark, swarthy, 

 bearded and moustached faces, and brightly- coloured 

 ponchos. 



Two days later I formed one of a number who took a 

 long ride into the country. Eiding is certainly not the most 

 favourable method of prosecuting observations in natural his- 

 tory, nevertheless I noticed a variety of objects that were 

 new to me, seeing for the first time a little burrowing owl 

 {Pholeo;ptynx cunicularius), and the Teru-tero, or spur-winged 



