178 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



At the present season, corresponding to mid- 

 November in Europe, I could not expect to see much 

 of the native herbaceous vegetation, and the majority 

 of the plants collected showed little more than the 

 parched skeletons of their former selves. The recent 

 slight showers, which alone had broken the long 

 drought since the preceding spring, sufficed to awaken 

 into life two species of Oxalis, whose flowers and 

 early leaves just pierced through the hard surface of 

 the soil ; but, although some young leaves heralded 

 the appearance of species of the lily tribe, no other 

 new flowers had appeared. Ferns were scarce, but I 

 was rather surprised to find a fine Adiantum in some 

 abundance under the shade of the Quillaja and 

 Kageneckia trees. 



In the evening I arranged with Mr. Hess to start 

 early on the following morning, with the object of 

 approaching as nearly as possible to the higher zone 

 of the Cordillera, of which, despite cloudy weather, I 

 had tempting glimpses during the day. 



I was on foot early on the i6th, but the prospect 

 ~was not altogether cheering. The clouds which 

 covered the sky were of leaden hue, and lay about 

 mid-height on the range of the Cordillera. The horses 

 were ready after the usual delay, and a taciturn young 

 man, who probably thought the expedition a bore, 

 was in readiness to act as guide. As I was about to 

 ■mount, Mr. Hess lent me a poncho, which I at once 

 drew over my head, and for which I afterwards had 

 reason to be grateful. We rode on in silence for 

 more than an hour, following a track that cuts across 

 the great bend of the Cachapoal above the baths. The 



