248 THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA 



the Cordillera, or in their immediate neighbourhood, so that we 

 had ample opportunity for making some interesting observations. 



To begin with, I should like to say a few words concerning 

 the distribution, broadly speaking, of the principal mammals of 

 Patagonia. 



Patagonia is divided practically into sections by its eastward- 

 flowing rivers. To-day the jaguar {Felis onca) does not, I am 

 informed, range south of the River Colorado, although specimens 

 were killed in the vicinity of the River Negro fifteen years ago. 

 The River Deseado forms the southern limit of the distribution of 

 the Patagonian cavy {Dolichotis patagonicd). The armadillo 

 {Dasypus minutus) is never found south of the' River Santa Cruz. 

 During four months which I spent south of that river I did not 

 see one, but when for three days we crossed to the north bank we 

 met with four and killed one. Dasypus minutus is very common 

 in the neighbourhood of Bahia Camerones. The range of the 

 huemul {Xenelaphus bisulctis) is confined to the Cordillera or their 

 close proximity, according to my experience, while Pelts concolor 

 puma, and the guanaco may be said to cover the entire country 

 as regards the plains, and I have seen the animals or their traces 

 in various parts of the Cordillera. 



So much for general distribution. 



I. Huemul {Xenelaphus disulcus). 



{Huemul or Guemal of the Argentines and Chilians ; Ciervo of 

 the Gauchos of Southern Patagonia ; ShSan of the Tehuelches.) 



In the neighbourhood of Lake Buenos Aires this beautiful 

 deer first came under my observation. On the south side of the 

 River de los Antiguos I saw a buck (which I shot), two does and 

 a pricket. I was told by my Gaucho, Humphrey Jones, that the 

 huemul is found in the forests as far north as the Welsh colony of 

 The 1 6th October, about lat. 43° ; on the south its range extends to 

 the Straits of Magellan. The easterly limit of their present habitat 

 may be said to be the foothills of the Andes. Dr. F. P. Moreno, 

 however, states that these animals have been seen in the hills in 

 the vicinity of Port Desire, on the Atlantic Coast : I do not think 

 that they are any longer to be found there. As far as my personal 

 observations go, I never came across a specimen farther east than 



