334 NATUEAL HISTORY OF 



closely resembling our British edible crab, and one of the 

 Maiadce, the Epialtus dentatus, which ranges throughout the 

 greater extent of the coast of Chili. It is ordinarily of a dull 

 greenish colour, and possesses large strong claws, which, how- 

 ever, it does not readily employ as weapons of defence, being 

 an animal of a sluggish disposition. I found it abundantly 

 afterwards in the Bay of Arauco and at Coquimbo. The 

 weather was so pleasant, that a party of five of us, the greater 

 number bent on sport, left the ship early in the day in the dingy, 

 and crossing over to the opposite side of the bay or creek, pro- 

 ceeded slowly along the coast towards the head of it ; some of 

 us landing, after a time, and walking along the beach. The 

 sun was shining brightly, and the humming-birds were flying 

 about in numbers, emitting a sharp chirping note, and occa- 

 sionally fighting with each other. Many specimens of a 

 beautiful lizard, the Leiolcemus cyanogaster, bright green 

 above, and orange and blue beneath, were darting about, 

 very difficult to secure, from the agility of their movements, 

 and indulging in the inconvenient custom of parting with 

 their tails on the shortest notice. We saw a flock of ban- 

 durrias (Theristicus melanosis), several kingfishers identical 

 with the species occurring in the Strait and Channels, some 

 rather large pigeons {Columha Fitzroyii), many black vultures 

 {Gathartes aura), and brown hawks {Milvago cMmango), which 

 last were very annoying from their habit of screaming ; large 

 flocks of a small curlew {Numenius Hudsonicus), feeding on 

 the mud-flats uncovered by the tide ; some godwits {Limosa 

 Hudsonica), spur-winged lapwings (Vanellus Cayanus), gulls, 

 cormorants, steamer-ducks, and small grebes. Some pigeons, 

 curlews, and godwits, with a single grebe, were shot, the 

 last-mentioned bird being afterwards ascertained to be the 

 Podilymbus jpodiceps. A variety of beautiful plants occurred 



