156 
BANDA ORIENTAL 
CHAP. 
A niata bull with a common cow, or the reverse cross, produces 
offspring having an intermediate character, but with the niata 
characters strongly displayed : according to Senor Muniz, there 
is the clearest evidence, contrary to the common belief of 
agriculturists in analogous cases, that the niata cow when 
crossed with a common bull transmits her peculiarities more 
strongly than the niata bull when crossed with a common 
cow. When the pasture is tolerably long, the niata cattle feed 
with the tongue and palate as well as common cattle; but 
during the great droughts, when so many animals perish, the 
niata breed is under a great disadvantage, and would be 
exterminated if not attended to ; for the common cattle, like 
horses, are able just to keep alive, by browsing with their lips 
on twigs of trees and reeds ; this the niatas cannot so well do, 
as their lips do not join, and hence they are found to perish 
before the common cattle. This strikes me as a good illustra¬ 
tion of how little we are able to judge from the ordinary habits 
of life, on what circumstances, occurring only at long intervals, 
the rarity or extinction of a species may be determined. 
November igtk .—Passing the valley of Las Vacas, we slept 
at a house of a North American, who worked a lime-kiln on 
the Arroyo de las Vivoras. In the morning we rode to a 
projecting headland on the banks of the river, called Punta 
Gorda. On the way we tried to find a jaguar. There were 
plenty of fresh tracks, and we visited the trees on which they 
are said to sharpen their claws ; but we did not succeed in 
disturbing one. From this point the Rio Uruguay presented 
to our view a noble volume of water. From the clearness and 
rapidity of the stream, its appearance was far superior to that 
of its neighbour the Parana. On the opposite coast, several 
branches from the latter river entered the Uruguay. As the 
sun was shining, the two colours of the waters could be seen 
quite distinct. 
In the evening we proceeded on our road towards Mercedes 
on the Rio Negro. At night we asked permission to sleep at 
an estancia at which we happened to arrive. It was a very 
large estate, been ten leagues square, and the owner is one of 
the greatest landowners in the country. His nephew had 
charge of it, and with him there was a captain in the army, 
who the other day ran away from Buenos Ayres. Considering 
