tobacco-pipe thus recovered.
The little owl (Athene cunicularia), which has been so often mentioned,
on the plains of Buenos Ayres exclusively inhabits the holes of the
bizcacha; but in Banda Oriental it is its own workman. During the open
day, but more especially in the evening, these birds may be seen in
every direction standing frequently by pairs on the hillock near their
burrows. If disturbed they either enter the hole, or, uttering a
shrill harsh cry, move with a remarkably undulatory flight to a short
distance, and then turning round, steadily gaze at their pursuer.
Occasionally in the evening they may be heard hooting. I found in the
stomachs of two which I opened the remains of mice, and I one day saw a
small snake killed and carried away. It is said that snakes are their
common prey during the daytime. I may here mention, as showing on what
various kinds of food owls subsist, that a species killed among the
islets of the Chonos Archipelago, had its stomach full of good-sized
crabs. In India [2] there is a fishing genus of owls, which likewise
catches crabs.
In the evening we crossed the Rio Arrecife on a simple raft made of
barrels lashed together, and slept at the post-house on the other side.
I this day paid horse-hire for thirty-one leagues; and although the sun
was glaring hot I was but little fatigued. When Captain Head talks of
riding fifty leagues a day, I do not imagine the distance is equal to
150 English miles. At all events, the thirty-one leagues was only 76
miles in a straight line, and in an open country I should think four
additional miles for turnings would be a sufficient allowance.
29th and 30th.--We continued to ride over plains of the same character.
At San Nicolas I first saw the noble river of the Parana. At the foot
of the cliff on which the town stands, some large vessels were at
anchor. Before arriving at Rozario, we crossed the Saladillo, a stream
of fine clear running water, but too saline to drink. Rozario is a
large town built on a dead level plain, which forms a cliff about sixty
feet high over the Parana. The river here is very broad, with many
islands, which are low and wooded, as is also the opposite shore. The
view would resemble that of a great lake, if it were not for the
linear-shaped islets, which alone give the idea of running water. The
cliffs are the most picturesque part; sometimes they are absolutely
perpendicular, and of a red colour; at other times in large broken
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