The Voyage of the Beagle | Page 5

range. These
works, which I owe to the high talents and disinterested zeal of the above distinguished
authors, could not have been undertaken had it not been for the liberality of the Lords
Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, who, through the representation of the Right
Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer, have been pleased to grant a sum of one
thousand pounds towards defraying part of the expenses of publication.
I have myself published separate volumes on the "Structure and Distribution of Coral
Reefs"; on the "Volcanic Islands visited during the Voyage of the 'Beagle'"; and on the
"Geology of South America." The sixth volume of the "Geological Transactions"
contains two papers of mine on the Erratic Boulders and Volcanic Phenomena of South
America. Messrs. Waterhouse, Walker, Newman, and White, have published several able
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 --