178 



JOURNEY ACROSS 



baggage-horses leading the way, along so dusty 

 a road that we were scarcely able to open our 

 mouths or eyes. The biscachas, which bur- 

 row like rabbits, though they resemble badgers 

 in appearance, had dug their holes in the very 

 middle of our path ; and my horse fell three 

 times into them, on his nose, but recovered 

 himself with singular felicity, without giving 

 me a tumble. In the daytime we should 

 have been reminded of the vicinity of these 

 traps, by the owls, which generally stand sen- 

 tinel over the holes which have ceased to be 

 inhabited by these animals. These birds sel- 

 dom move from the spot, and, if the traveller 

 rides close to them, they make no other move- 

 ment than to raise themselves as high as they 

 can upon their feet, and stare at him with their 

 goggle eyes, in a very curious and comical way. 

 We saw a great many of the horned plovers 



