THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 



105 



the moment, in the most unaccountable manner, the whole 

 subject of the Petises, and thought it was a not full-grown 

 bird of the common sort. It was cooked and eaten before 

 my memory returned. Fortunately the head, neck, legs, 

 wings, many of the larger feathers, and a large part of the 

 skin, had been preserved; and from these a very nearly per- 

 fect specimen has been put together, and is now exhibited 

 in the museum of the Zoological Society. Mr. Gould, in de- 

 scribing this new species, has done me the honour of calling 

 it after my name. 



Among the Patagonian Indians in the Strait of Magellan, 

 we found a half Indian, who had lived some years with 

 the tribe, but had been born in the northern provinces. I 

 asked him if he had ever heard of the Avestruz Petise? He 

 answered by saying, " Why, there are none others in these 

 southern countries." He informed me that the number of 

 eggs in the nest of the petise is considerably less than in that 

 of the other kind, namely, not more than fifteen on an aver- 

 age; but he asserted that more than one female deposited 

 them. At Santa Cruz we saw several of these birds. They 

 were excessively wary: I think they could see a person ap- 

 proaching when too far off to be distinguished themselves. 

 In ascending the river few were seen; but in our quiet and 

 rapid descent, many, in pairs and by fours or fives, were 

 observed. It was remarked that this bird did not expand 

 its wings, when first starting at full speed, after the manner 

 of the northern kind. In conclusion I may observe, that 

 the Struthio rhea inhabits the country of La Plata as far 

 as a little south of the Rio Negro in lat. 41 °, and that the 

 Struthio Darwinii takes its place in Southern Patagonia; 

 the part about the Rio Negro being neutral territory. M. 

 A. d'Orbigny, 16 when at the Rio Negro, made great exer- 

 tions to procure this bird, but never had the good fortune to 

 succeed. Dobrizhoffer 17 long ago was aware of there being 

 two kinds of ostriches; he says, "You must know, more- 



18 When at the Rio Negro, we heard much of the indefatigable labours 

 of this naturalist. M. Alcide cTOrbigny, during the years 1825 to 1833, 

 traversed several large portions of South America, and has made a collec- 

 tion, and is now publishing the results on a scale of magnificence, which 

 at once places himself in the list of American travellers second only to 

 Humboldt. 



"Account of the Abipones, a.d. 1745, vc!. f, ^English translation) p. 3:4. 



