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  "Northern Bank of the Plata, Nov. 20-30, 1833.

"No. 1593.—Bearded Wheat materially injured by a blight, called the 'Polvillo.' When a field is attacked, it seems, even at a distance, burnt up, and of a red appearance. On walking amongst the Corn, the shoes and trowsers become covered with a fine rust-coloured powder: hence the name. The powder is lodged in minute oblong patches, beneath the epidermis, which may at first be seen partially raised, and forming a scale. It attacks all parts indiscriminately. If the leaves are a little infected, the grains of Corn are light and dry; but if the ear and stalk are attacked, the crop is entirely spoilt. The blight is not observed before the grain is pretty full; and its attacks are very rapid—three or four days being sufficient to spoil a whole field. It is endemic in the whole district, though not equally destructive throughout. From this cause, last year, when the weather was wet, no grain was gathered. Hence an immense importation of flour took place from North America. This year, the weather being fine and dry, the blight will destroy or injure the greater part of all the crops. Fields thrown up in Buts, clear of weeds, on high ground, are equally attacked with those of less favoured aspect. It is here attributed to the sun's action after heavy dews. Crops grown from grain of the country, from the Cape of Good Hope, and from Rio Negro in Patagonia, were all more or less affected. It is remarkable that the Wheat at Rio Negro itself (which is grown on low diluvial lands) produced, even last year, its immense crop uninjured. This blight is a prodigious evil to the country, and most mortifying to the agriculturist, who does not know that all his labour will be lost, till within a week or fortnight of the time when he was expecting to reap the fruits of it."

209

Port Desire

1834 Jan:

Lizard 764 Back with double semilunar transverse marks of "gamboge yellow": above before which, irregular patches of black, intermediate spaces, blueish-greenish-grey, mottled with black & rust colour: belly "primrose & gamboge yellow.— Common genus.— Sluggish, often asleep:

Lizard 765 Back with 13 snow white transverse lines; intermediate spaces most beautifully sparkling with green & orange: iridescent.— centre of each scale black: belly orangish "tile red", clouded & net work black.—

Lizard 766

Numerous jet black transverse bands, intermediate spaces, grey, & very pale reddish brown, belly grey

Lizard 767

Blackish grey, with medial line black; row of marks of same color on each side of this, & marks on the sides.—

Lizard 768

Whole body & tail ringed with "french grey", before which salmon colour, with anterior edge indented with "primrose yellow.— before this dark brown. anterior edge jagged.— then as before french grey &c &c.— Beneath whitish except tail with rings.— under the chin spotted with white

Gecko 769...771 (a) 803 Centre of back "yellowish brown" sometimes with strong tinge of dark green, sides clouded with blackish brown.— in very great numbers under stones.— cannot climb up glass.— makes a grating noise when dis taken hold of.— After death looses its darker colours.—

Lizard 772 Three whitish grey longitudinal bands, between which there are square black-brown marks in pairs, which together with lateral marks, form transverse bands: intervals grey & pale rust; belly grey & black, mottled & with a tinge of orange.—

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(a) A specimen, being kept for some days in a tin box, changed colour into an uniform grey, without the black cloudings.— I thought I noticed some change after catching & bringing home these animals; but could observe no instantaneous change.— Under same stone found a very black variety & another one "Hair brown" with tinge of green; mottled on sides of back with "Oil & Pistachio green" centre of each patch [illeg] brownish black.— Being kept for 3 or 4 days, not the slightish change of color.—

210

Port Desire

1834 Jan:

Lizard 773 Copied Seven or eight very irregular transverse rows of dirty white, intervals blackish brown, grey & rust.— sides more mottled with yellow.— Belly blackish grey, scales of belly orangish

Rana 774 Copied Back blackish; flanks with three or four circular marks of black.— young individual.— is bred in & inhabits water far too salt to drink.—

Lizard 793 Copied Belly rather silvery white, with very fine waving lines of black: back with very indented brown bands, between which spaces grey with stains of "lemon yellow". Head figured brown do do yellow.— upper surface of feet yellow, tail ringed brown, white & grey.— Port St Julians.—

Ornithology (b) On the dry sterile plains of Port Desire & St Julians birds are infrequent: even the Carrion Vultures which are tolerably common at B. Blanca & the uninhabited wild plains of the North are here excessively scarce.— I saw two or three Carranchos & (c) small vulture (1772).— But the Guanaco left for a long time uncovered were never touched.— The commonest bird is a sparrow (1704), & this is seen in every place: we have also the Sturnus ruber: the Solopax-perdrix (1224), the Lanius (1220), the Charadrius (1623), Furnari are all present in small numbers. Furnarius (1698) is not uncommon & Furnarius (1702) amongst bushes takes the place of (F. 1222).— In the bushy valleys, some Lanii, a Fringilla (1701) are present, though uncommon.— The Ostrich is not abundant.—

Ibis (a) An Ibis (1773) in pairs frequent the desart plain; builds its nest in cliffs on sea shore: egg dirty white freckled with pale reddish brown. length circumference 7 inches.

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(a) In its stomach Cicadæ, Lizard, (Scorpions !!) Cry very singular.— I have often mistaken it for the distant neigh of the Guanaco.— Legs "carmine & scarlet red", iris scarlet red.—

May 19th (b) Some miles near the head of inlet, where there are lofty precipices of Porphry, there are many Condors.— It appears to me that, that a mural precipice determines the presence of these birds.— I have seen them in sandstone cliffs at the R. Negro Lat. 40° & not further to the North (400 miles from the Cordilleras, their supposed residence), at St Joseph cliffs, & here: where the Ship was anchored, there are no precipices, hence the Condor seldom comes so far to the coast, but as stated 15 & 20 miles up the creek they are numerous.— At S. Cruz, near anchorage there are cliffs & Condors; proceeding up the river, there were none, till we first again 100? miles distant met Lava perpendicular cliffs, where Condors were again abundant.— Condors are generally seen in pairs, & a single or 2 young brown birds (in winter season) are seen with them.— They breed in the cliffs, & many together; in one place there could not be fewer than 20.— They must at S. Cruz in central Patagonia live entirely on dead Guanaco, those which die & are killed by the many Pumas.— When gorged they return to a pinnacle or ledge in their favourite cliffs:— A female, I shot: 8 ft tip to tip; length 3ft:8 inch: Iris scarlet red: legs pale [illeg]

(c) This small Vulture4 is common on the banks of the S. Cruz

211

Port Desire

1834 Jan:

Halimeda 1770 (797 Spirits) Considerable quantities of this Corallina was thrown up on the beach: on each side of the limb were little pustules; such as described P 161 & 56. They varied in number from one to four.— when old they became white & exfoliated.— Aperture beautifully round.— When the pustules were broken open ovules were found in three states; sphærical & opake; lengthened & pointed oval, where the internal matter was clearly seen separate from the transparent case.— & 3d where this pulpy matter was divided into distinct articulations sometimes 2, 3, or 4.— the shape of articulation the limbs even were clearly visible, one basal one was largest.

(b) the transparent case was in this case very delicate, the slightest touch rupturing it.— color dark "crimson red".— in short a small Halimeda ready to float forth was indisputably evident.— the longer limb probably becoming the point of attachment.— As all the pieces I picked up of this Corallina were furnished with these ovules it may be suspected that the parent plant is easily torn from its root & like Fungi perishes after reproduction.— I have now seen this process in a Halimeda, Amphiroa2 & one of the inarticulata.—

Sea weed (a) copied First narrows Sts of Magellan: Branches very fine bifurcate. colour "Hyacinth red with little Aurora". Extremities of branches finely pointed, with tranverse divisions; shortly then are divided by longitudinal plates making double set of cells, as long as broard.— in mains stems, 6 (or 10?) oblong cells, six times as long as broard; side by side, extremities of cells not united in a straight transverse line; at stem junction of ends

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a) often enveloped by fine transparent epidermis seen at junction of cells.—

(b) This observation appears to me of considerable importance in settling the long disputed point, whether the genus Corallina belongs to the grand division of plants, or to that of animals being included in the Zoophites.— The gemmules containing several distinct articulations, I believe is entirely contrary to any analogy drawn from the propagation of Zoophites: I am ignorant what relation it bears to any of the articulated Cryptogamic plants such as the oscillariæ.— But, anyhow, in all Zoophites we should certainly expect that one gemmule would produce only one young Polypus & we might as certainly expect that each inarticulation one (or pair or some definite number) would contain & be formed by a Polypus, neither of these expectations are realized in the manner of propagation of the Corallina. Therefore, I do not believe Corallina to have any connection with the family of Zoophites.

212

Port Desire

1834 Jan:

Sea weed of these oblong cells, there are small globular bodies.— Many of the branches are changed into a short, bluntly pointed, very slightly oval cases.— this at first is full of red pulpy matter, which subsequently contracts & forms only ¼ of bulk at upper extremity.— in this state it is an aggregation of small sphæres, which in a more mature state, are quadrifid, that is they present the appearance of four short mushrooms growing from a common central root, (a flattened head on short footstalk) These are enveloped in a transparent case; which nearly fills up the small vacuity between the separate divisions.— diameter of whole .0025 or rather more than 1/500th of an inch.— color. dark red.— Are there four eggs or one singularly shaped one?—

Avestruz Petises (a) 1832...1836 Page 112 (b) there is some notice about a second species of Rhea.— which is very rarely found N of the R. Negro.— Mr Martens2 shot one at Port Desire, which I looking slightly at it pronounced to be a young one of the common sort.— that is it appeared to be 2/3 in size of the common one.— I also some live ones of same size, but entirely forgot the Petises.— I have since reclaimed the Head, Legs & several feathers. 1832. . . 1836.— The scales on legs are of a different shape, & is feathered below the knees, this accounts for their being said to be shorter in the legs & perhaps for being feathered to the claws.— (it is a bird which the R. Negro Gauchos have only seen once or twice in their lives).— An egg was then found, which is more pointed & 2 or 3/8th of an inch less in circumference; it is an

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April 1836 (a) In the plains of central Patagonia, I had several opportunities of seeing this Ostrich: it unquestionably is a much smaller & darker coloured bird than the Rhea.— it is excessively wary; I think they can see a person approaching, when he is so far off as not to distinguish the Ostrich; in ascending the river tracks &c &c were very abundant yet we saw scarcely any; but when rapidly & quietly descending, we saw many, both pairs & 4s or 5s together. It was observed, & justly, that this Ostrich does not expand its wings as the Northern one always does, when first starting at full speed: takes to the water readily; saw four crossing the river where 400 yards wide & very rapid; & another day. one very little of the body appears above water:—