PACIFIC AND EEERING'S STRAIT. 
23 
“lerely observe here, that in the secondary sandstone a variety of CHAP, 
petrifactions occur, of wood, shells, and bones, formed by an infiltration ’• 
of siliceous and calcareous matter. The little island of Quiriquina pre- omfcT 
sents alternate horizontal strata of pebbles, sand stone, and petrified 
substances, principally of wood, and vertebral and other bones of the 
whale. On the opposite shore a fossil nautilus was found which mea- 
sured three feet in diameter. Upon the beach, in several parts of the bay, 
there are ridges of magnetic iron-sand, which the waves have thrown up : 
they are seen adhering together, apparently by mutual attraction. 
1 • 1 T**" of *hell-fish in Conception entices a great many 
birds within the bay. The shore is occasionally thronged with them ; 
and the shags sometimes fly in an unbroken line of two miles and 
more in length. The quebranta huessos, the black-backed gull, a 
Z’ulits r; of Po'ican, one oflhi’ch 
bo’ bf 1 ^ entertaining manner. It first soars to a gi'eat 
Ight, and then suddenly darts into the sea, splashing the water in all 
irections ; m a few seconds, it emerges and resumes its lofty flight until 
again attracted by its prey, when it plunges into the sea as before; 
wholfhaV r ■’ g'-ogorious, ranges over the 
raniil’t motions in concert and with a surprising 
thi f ^1 f* P®”g""> 'S also here, and a very large species of duck, 
he female o which has a callosity on the shoulder of each wing, and 
lews s ® speo'os of colymbus with lobed toes; cur- 
irideTOnrplumZr''the “ ’“aotiful species of chaverey, with 
turkey buzzards "the or razor-bill, and sanderlings; 
and wood-pigeons rLTtr'”.’ 7 ®'“' “f hawks, owls, black-birds, 
a veiy beautiful species of duck, frequenting the marshfs and lakes 
between Talcahuana and Conception; partridges, a species of wood 
pecker, a dark-brown fringUla, with a beautiful scarlet breast, a species 
of loxia, turdus, hirundo, anipelis, not remarkable for their plum^ 
and numerous flocks of green parrots, which the Chilian SpanL wh^ 
eats almost every kind of bird, has no objection to place „o ’ b’ 
table The domesticated fowls are the same here as in^Europe'^ The 
reptiles are few, and not venomous; small lizards are extremely cmnmon 
