The Voyage of the Beagle | Page 5

papers on the Insects which were collected, and I trust that many others will hereafter follow. The plants from the southern parts of America will be given by Dr. J. Hooker, in his great work on the Botany of the Southern Hemisphere. The Flora of the Galapagos Archipelago is the subject of a separate memoir by him, in the "Linnean Transactions." The Reverend Professor Henslow has published a list of the plants collected by me at the Keeling Islands; and the Reverend J.M. Berkeley has described my cryptogamic plants.
I shall have the pleasure of acknowledging the great assistance which I have received from several other naturalists in the course of this and my other works; but I must be here allowed to return my most sincere thanks to the Reverend Professor Henslow, who, when I was an undergraduate at Cambridge, was one chief means of giving me a taste for Natural History,--who, during my absence, took charge of the collections I sent home, and by his correspondence directed my endeavours,--and who, since my return, has constantly rendered me every assistance which the kindest friend could offer.
DOWN, BROMLEY, KENT, June 1845.

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Porto Praya -- Ribeira Grande -- Atmospheric Dust with Infusoria -- Habits of a Sea-slug and Cuttle-fish -- St. Paul's Rocks, non-volcanic -- Singular Incrustations -- Insects the first Colonists of Islands -- Fernando Noronha -- Bahia -- Burnished Rocks -- Habits of a Diodon -- Pelagic Confervae and Infusoria -- Causes of discoloured Sea.
CHAPTER II.
Rio de Janeiro -- Excursion north of Cape Frio -- Great Evaporation -- Slavery -- Botofogo Bay -- Terrestrial Planariae -- Clouds on the Corcovado -- Heavy Rain -- Musical Frogs -- Phosphorescent insects -- Elater, springing powers of -- Blue Haze -- Noise made by a Butterfly -- Entomology -- Ants -- Wasp killing a Spider -- Parasitical Spider -- Artifices of an Epeira -- Gregarious Spider -- Spider with an unsymmetrical web.
CHAPTER III.
Monte Video -- Maldonado -- Excursion to R. Polanco -- Lazo and Bolas -- Partridges -- Absence of trees -- Deer -- Capybara, or River Hog -- Tucutuco -- Molothrus, cuckoo-like habits -- Tyrant-flycatcher -- Mocking-bird -- Carrion Hawks -- Tubes formed by lightning -- House struck.
CHAPTER IV.
Rio Negro -- Estancias attacked by the Indians -- Salt-Lakes -- Flamingoes -- R. Negro to R. Colorado -- Sacred Tree -- Patagonian Hare -- Indian Families -- General Rosas -- Proceed to Bahia Blanca -- Sand Dunes -- Negro Lieutenant -- Bahia Blanca -- Saline incrustations -- Punta Alta -- Zorillo.
CHAPTER V.
Bahia Blanca -- Geology -- Numerous gigantic extinct Quadrupeds -- Recent Extinction -- Longevity of Species -- Large Animals do not require a luxuriant vegetation -- Southern Africa -- Siberian Fossils -- Two Species of Ostrich -- Habits of Oven-bird -- Armadilloes -- Venomous Snake, Toad, Lizard -- Hybernation of Animals -- Habits of Sea-Pen -- Indian Wars and Massacres -- Arrowhead -- Antiquarian Relic.
CHAPTER VI.
Set out for Buenos Ayres -- Rio Sauce -- Sierra Ventana -- Third Posta -- Driving Horses -- Bolas -- Partridges and Foxes -- Features of the country -- Long-legged Plover -- Teru-tero -- Hail-storm -- Natural enclosures in the Sierra Tapalguen -- Flesh of Puma -- Meat Diet -- Guardia del Monte -- Effects of cattle on the Vegetation -- Cardoon -- Buenos Ayres -- Corral where cattle are slaughtered.
CHAPTER VII.
Excursion to St. Fé -- Thistle Beds -- Habits of the Bizcacha -- Little Owl -- Saline streams -- Level plains -- Mastodon -- St. Fé -- Change in landscape -- Geology -- Tooth of extinct Horse -- Relation of the Fossil and recent Quadrupeds of North and South America -- Effects of a great drought -- Parana -- Habits of the Jaguar -- Scissor-beak -- Kingfisher, Parrot, and Scissor-tail -- Revolution -- Buenos Ayres -- State of Government.
CHAPTER VIII.
Excursion to Colonia del Sacramiento -- Value of an Estancia -- Cattle, how counted -- Singular breed of Oxen -- Perforated pebbles -- Shepherd-dogs -- Horses broken-in, Gauchos riding -- Character of Inhabitants -- Rio Plata -- Flocks of Butterflies -- Aeronaut Spiders -- Phosphorescence of the Sea -- Port Desire -- Guanaco -- Port St. Julian -- Geology of Patagonia -- Fossil gigantic Animal -- Types of Organisation constant -- Change in the Zoology of America -- Causes of Extinction.
CHAPTER IX.
Santa Cruz -- Expedition up the River -- Indians -- Immense streams of basaltic lava -- Fragments not transported by the river -- Excavation of the valley -- Condor, habits of -- Cordillera -- Erratic boulders of great size -- Indian relics -- Return to the ship -- Falkland Islands -- Wild horses, cattle, rabbits -- Wolf-like fox -- Fire made of bones -- Manner of hunting wild cattle -- Geology -- Streams of stones -- Scenes of violence -- Penguin -- Geese -- Eggs of