88 NATUKAL HISTORY OF 



one of the three Magellanic representatives of a genus chiefly 

 characteristic of Chili and Patagonia) ; an orchid with large 

 greenish flowers, marked with black veins (the Chloraea 

 Magellanica) ; a Composite plant with yellowish orange rayless 

 flowers, possessed of a sweet honey-like odour ; a plant of the 

 same order, with stiff, narrow leaves, armed with minute spines, 

 and pretty fragrant blue flowers (the Homoianthus echinulatus), 

 and a large fungus of the genus Lycoperdon, forming masses 

 about the size of a child's head, and with the outer coat, in 

 general, cracked into polygonal fragments. 



Swallows were sweeping rapidly over the plains, and 

 several small flocks of ibises were seen, but no specimens 

 shot, owing to their extreme wariness when on the ground, 

 and the height at which they flew in the air when they sus- 

 pected danger. A single specimen of a snipe was, however, 

 procured, as well as an example of that marvellous bird, the 

 Logger-head or steamer-duck, which was suddenly disturbed 

 while it was reposing on the beach, and with great rapidity 

 took to the water, where it was shot, before it had paddled 

 out any great distance, by two of the ofi&cers, one of whom after- 

 wards evinced a most commendable zeal for the advancement 

 of science by undressing and swimming out for it. This, our 

 first sight of a bird of which we had heard or read so much, 

 caused great excitement at the time, as we were not then 

 aware that it was one of the most common birds in the Strait. 

 Deferring my observations upon the steamer-duck for a few 

 pages farther, I may here remark that the snipe, which, 

 along with the other specimens of birds collected during the 

 voyage, was submitted to Messrs. Sclater and Salvin for 

 determination, proved to be the Gallinago Paraguice, which, I 

 believe, is also common in the countries bordering on the river 

 Plate. Later in the season (in the month of April), we met 



