126 PAMPAS. [cHar. Vil. 
mentioned, on the plains of Buenos Ayres exclusively inhabits 
the holes of the bizcacha; but in Banda Oriental it is its own 
workman. During the open day, but more especially in the 
evening, these birds may be seen in every direction standing fre- 
quently by pairs on the hillock near their burrows. If disturbed 
they either enter the hole, or, uttering a shrill harsh cry, move 
with a remarkably undulatory flight to a short distance, and 
then turning round, steadily gaze at their pursuer. Occasionally 
in the evening they may be heard hooting. I found in the sto- 
machs of two which I opened the remains of mice, and I one 
day saw a small snake killed and carried away. It is said that. 
snakes are their common prey during the daytime. I may here 
mention, as showing on what various kinds of food owls subsist, 
that a species killed among the islets of the Chonos Archipelago, 
had its stomach full of good-sized crabs. In India* there is a 
fishing genus of owls, which likewise catches crabs. 
In the evening we crossed the Rio Arrecife on a simple raft 
made of barrels lashed together, and slept at the post-house on 
the other side. I this day paid horse-hire for thirty-one leagues ; 
and although the sun was glaring hot I was but little fatigued. 
When Captain Head talks of riding fifty leagues a day, I do 
not imagine the distance is equal to 150 English miles. At all 
events, the thirty-one leagues was only 76 miles in a straight 
line, and in an open country I should think four additional miles 
for turnings would be a sufficient allowance. 
29th and 30th.—We continued to ride over plains of the 
same character. At San Nicolas I first saw the noble river of 
the Parana. At the foot of the cliff on which the town stands, 
some large vessels were at anchor. Before arriving at Rozario, 
we crossed the Saladillo, a stream of fine clear running water, 
but too saline to drink. Rozario is a large town built on a dead 
level plain, which forms a cliff about sixty feet high over the 
Parana. The river here is very broad, with many islands, which 
are low and wooded, as is also the opposite shore. The view 
would resemble that of a great lake, if it were not for the linear- 
shaped islets, which alone give the idea of running water. The 
cliffs are the most picturesque part ; sometimes they are abso- 
lutely perpendicular, and of a red colour; at other times in large 
* Journal of Asiatic Soc., vol. v. p. 363. 
