408 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



beautiful Porcellance with broad flat claws, which they snapped 

 off with the greatest agility on being handled, and many 

 individuals of a beautiful prawn-like Decapod with a mov- 

 able rostrum, the RhyncJwcinetes typus, which were swimming 

 about in the pools, their legs and bodies exquisitely banded 

 with delicate shades of brown and red. A variety of star- 

 fishes and Echini were also met with, as well as some very 

 finely coloured Actinice, in which ultramarine blue, brilliant 

 orange, emerald green, and white, were the prevailing tints. 

 Many sponges also occurred, their colours varying from orange 

 and yellow to light blue. r 



On the 19th I set out on an excursion inland with Captain 

 Mayne and Mr. GoUan, H.B.M. Consul at Coquimbo, leaving 

 the town by train at nine A.M. The country through which 

 we passed presented the usual aspect of bare, burnt-up plains, 

 with occasional green patches of " alf-alfa," succeeded after a 

 time by cactus-clad hills. We at length arrived at the foot of 

 a " cuesta," up which the train goes, and halted there for a time 

 to take in luggage. As there seemed some likelihood of delay, 

 I got out, and receiving the comforting assurance from the 

 guard that he would not go on without me — a piece of atten- 

 tion not commonly to be met with in railway officials — I 

 spent some time strolling about the neighbourhood, without 

 however observing anything specially noteworthy. After 

 nearly an hour had passed we resumed our journey, and the 

 line, in ascending the " cuesta," being very remarkable from 

 its excessive tortuosity and the steepness of the ascent (I 

 believe in some parts as much as one in twenty-five feet), we 

 took up our position on a platform in front of the engine to gain 

 the full benefit of it. As we slowly wound about the hill, I 

 noticed a variety of beautiful plants which I had not pre- 

 viously seen, and felt much tantalised at being unable to pro- 



