Thepuma，aftereatingitsfill，coversthecarcasswithmanylargebushes，andliesdowntowatchit。Thishabitisoftenthecauseofitsbeingdiscovered；forthecondorswheelingintheaireverynowandthendescendtopartakeofthefeast，andbeingangrilydrivenaway，risealltogetheronthewing。TheChilenoGuasothenknowsthereisalionwatchinghisprey——thewordisgiven——andmenanddogshurrytothechase。SirF。HeadsaysthataGauchointhepampas，uponmerelyseeingsomecondorswheelingintheair，cried“Alion！”Icouldnevermyselfmeetwithanyonewhopretendedtosuchpowersofdiscrimination。Itisassertedthat，ifapumahasoncebeenbetrayedbythuswatchingthecarcass，andhasthenbeenhunted，itneverresumesthishabit；butthat，havinggorgeditself，itwandersfaraway。Thepumaiseasilykilled。Inanopencountry，itisfirstentangledwiththebolas，thenlazoed，anddraggedalongthegroundtillrenderedinsensible。AtTandeel(southoftheplata)，Iwastoldthatwithinthreemonthsonehundredwerethusdestroyed。InChiletheyaregenerallydrivenupbushesortrees，andaretheneithershot，orbaitedtodeathbydogs。Thedogsemployedinthischasebelongtoaparticularbreed，calledLeoneros：theyareweak，slightanimals，likelong-leggedterriers，butarebornwithaparticularinstinctforthissport。Thepumaisdescribedasbeingverycrafty：whenpursued，itoftenreturnsonitsformertrack，andthensuddenlymakingaspringononeside，waitstheretillthedogshavepassedby。Itisaverysilentanimal，utteringnocryevenwhenwounded，andonlyrarelyduringthebreedingseason。
Ofbirds，twospeciesofthegenusPteroptochos(megapodiusandalbicollisofKittlitz)areperhapsthemostconspicuous。Theformer，calledbytheChilenos“elTurco。”isaslargeasafieldfare，towhichbirdithassomealliance；butitslegsaremuchlonger，tailshorter，andbeakstronger：
itscolourisareddishbrown。TheTurcoisnotuncommon。Itlivesontheground，shelteredamongthethicketswhicharescatteredoverthedryandsterilehills。Withitstailerect，andstilt-likelegs，itmaybeseeneverynowandthenpoppingfromonebushtoanotherwithuncommonquickness。
Itreallyrequireslittleimaginationtobelievethatthebirdisashamedofitself，andisawareofitsmostridiculousfigure。Onfirstseeingit，oneistemptedtoexclaim，“Avilelystuffedspecimenhasescapedfromsomemuseum，andhascometolifeagain！”Itcannotbemadetotakeflightwithoutthegreatesttrouble，nordoesitrun，butonlyhops。Thevariousloudcrieswhichitutterswhenconcealedamongstthebushes，areasstrangeasitsappearance。Itissaidtobuilditsnestinadeepholebeneaththeground。Idissectedseveralspecimens：thegizzard，whichwasverymuscular，containedbeetles，vegetablefibres，andpebbles。Fromthischaracter，fromthelengthofitslegs，scratchingfeet，membranouscoveringtothenostrils，shortandarchedwings，thisbirdseemsinacertaindegreetoconnectthethrusheswiththegallinaceousorder。
Thesecondspecies(orP。albicollis)isalliedtothefirstinitsgeneralform。ItiscalledTapacolo，or“coveryourposterior；“andwelldoestheshamelesslittlebirddeserveitsname；foritcarriesitstailmorethanerect，thatis，inclinedbackwardstowardsitshead。Itisverycommon，andfrequentsthebottomsofhedge-rows，andthebushesscatteredoverthebarrenhills，wherescarcelyanotherbirdcanexist。Initsgeneralmanneroffeeding，ofquicklyhoppingoutofthethicketsandbackagain，initsdesireofconcealment，unwillingnesstotakeflight，andnidification，itbearsacloseresemblancetotheTurco；butitsappearanceisnotquitesoridiculous。TheTapacoloisverycrafty：whenfrightenedbyanyperson，itwillremainmotionlessatthebottomofabush，andwillthen，afteralittlewhile，trywithmuchaddresstocrawlawayontheoppositeside。
Itisalsoanactivebird，andcontinuallymakinganoise：thesenoisesarevariousandstrangelyodd；somearelikethecooingofdoves，otherslikethebubblingofwater，andmanydefyallsimiles。Thecountrypeoplesayitchangesitscryfivetimesintheyear——accordingtosomechangeofseason，Isuppose。[4]
Twospeciesofhumming-birdsarecommon；Trochilusforficatusisfoundoveraspaceof2500milesonthewestcoast，fromthehotdrycountryofLima，totheforestsofTierradelFuego——whereitmaybeseenflittingaboutinsnow-storms。InthewoodedislandofChiloe，whichhasanextremelyhumidclimate，thislittlebird，skippingfromsidetosideamidstthedrippingfoliage，isperhapsmoreabundantthanalmostanyotherkind。
Iopenedthestomachsofseveralspecimens，shotindifferentpartsofthecontinent，andinall，remainsofinsectswereasnumerousasinthestomachofacreeper。Whenthisspeciesmigratesinthesummersouthward，itisreplacedbythearrivalofanotherspeciescomingfromthenorth。
Thissecondkind(Trochilusgigas)isaverylargebirdforthedelicatefamilytowhichitbelongs：whenonthewingitsappearanceissingular。
Likeothersofthegenus，itmovesfromplacetoplacewitharapiditywhichmaybecomparedtothatofSyrphusamongstflies，andSphinxamongmoths；butwhilsthoveringoveraflower，itflapsitswingswithaveryslowandpowerfulmovement，totallydifferentfromthatvibratoryonecommontomostofthespecies，whichproducesthehummingnoise。Ineversawanyotherbirdwheretheforceofitswingsappeared(asinabutterfly)sopowerfulinproportiontotheweightofitsbody。Whenhoveringbyaflower，itstailisconstantlyexpandedandshutlikeafan，thebodybeingkeptinanearlyverticalposition。Thisactionappearstosteadyandsupportthebird，betweentheslowmovementsofitswings。Althoughflyingfromflowertoflowerinsearchoffood，itsstomachgenerallycontainedabundantremainsofinsects，whichIsuspectaremuchmoretheobjectofitssearchthanhoney。Thenoteofthisspecies，likethatofnearlythewholefamily，isextremelyshrill。[1]Caldeleugh，inPhilosoph。Transact。for1836。
[2]AnnalesdesSciencesNaturelles，March，1833。
M。Gay，azealousandablenaturalist，wasthenoccupiedinstudyingeverybranchofnaturalhistorythroughoutthekingdomofChile。
[3]Burchess’sTravels，vol。ii。p。45。
[4]Itisaremarkablefact，thatMolina，thoughdescribingindetailallthebirdsandanimalsofChile，neveroncementionsthisgenus，thespeciesofwhicharesocommon，andsoremarkableintheirhabits。Washeatalosshowtoclassifythem，anddidheconsequentlythinkthatsilencewasthemoreprudentcourse？Itisonemoreinstanceofthefrequencyofomissionsbyauthors，onthoseverysubjectswhereitmighthavebeenleastexpected。PreviousChapterNextChapterTheVoyageoftheBeagle-Chapter13TheVoyageoftheBeaglebyCharlesDarwinPreviousChapterNextChapterChapter13-ChiloeandChonosIslandsNOVEMBER10th——TheBeaglesailedfromValparaisotothesouth，forthepurposeofsurveyingthesouthernpartofChile，theislandofChiloe，andthebrokenlandcalledtheChonosArchipelago，asfarsouthasthePeninsulaofTresMontes。Onthe21stweanchoredinthebayofS。Carlos，thecapitalofChiloe。
Thisislandisaboutninetymileslong，withabreadthofratherlessthanthirty。Thelandishilly，butnotmountainous，andiscoveredbyonegreatforest，exceptwhereafewgreenpatcheshavebeenclearedroundthethatchedcottages。FromadistancetheviewsomewhatresemblesthatofTierradelFuego；butthewoods，whenseennearer，areincomparablymorebeautiful。Manykindsoffineevergreentrees，andplantswithatropicalcharacter，heretaketheplaceofthegloomybeechofthesouthernshores。
Inwintertheclimateisdetestable，andinsummeritisonlyalittlebetter。Ishouldthinktherearefewpartsoftheworld，withinthetemperateregions，wheresomuchrainfalls。Thewindsareveryboisterous，andtheskyalmostalwaysclouded：tohaveaweekoffineweatherissomethingwonderful。ItisevendifficulttogetasingleglimpseoftheCordillera：
duringourfirstvisit，onceonlythevolcanoofOsornostoodoutinboldrelief，andthatwasbeforesunrise；itwascurioustowatch，asthesunrose，theoutlinegraduallyfadingawayintheglareoftheeasternsky。
Theinhabitants，fromtheircomplexionandlowstature；appeartohavethree-fourthsofIndianbloodintheirveins。Theyareanhumble，quiet，industrioussetofmen。Althoughthefertilesoil，resultingfromthedecompositionofthevolcanicrocks，supportsarankvegetation，yettheclimateisnotfavourabletoanyproductionwhichrequiresmuchsunshinetoripenit。
Thereisverylittlepastureforthelargerquadrupeds；andinconsequence，thestaplearticlesoffoodarepigs，potatoes，andfish。Thepeoplealldressinstrongwoollengarments，whicheachfamilymakesforitself，anddyeswithindigoofadarkbluecolour。Thearts，however，areintherudeststate；——asmaybeseenintheirstrangefashionofploughing，theirmethodofspinning，grindingcorn，andintheconstructionoftheirboats。Theforestsaresoimpenetrable，thatthelandisnowherecultivatedexceptnearthecoastandontheadjoiningislets。Evenwherepathsexist，theyarescarcelypassablefromthesoftandswampystateofthesoil。Theinhabitants，likethoseofTierradelFuego，moveaboutchieflyonthebeachorinboats。
Althoughwithplentytoeat，thepeopleareverypoor：thereisnodemandforlabour，andconsequentlythelowerorderscannotscrapetogethermoneysufficienttopurchaseeventhesmallestluxuries。Thereisalsoagreatdeficiencyofacirculatingmedium。Ihaveseenamanbringingonhisbackabagofcharcoal，withwhichtobuysometrifle，andanothercarryingaplanktoexchangeforabottleofwine。Henceeverytradesmanmustalsobeamerchant，andagainsellthegoodswhichhetakesinexchange。
November24th——Theyawlandwhale-boatweresentunderthecommandofMr。(nowCaptain)Sulivan，tosurveytheeasternorinlandcoastofChiloe；andwithorderstomeettheBeagleatthesouthernextremityoftheisland；towhichpointshewouldproceedbytheoutside，soasthustocircumnavigatethewhole。Iaccompaniedthisexpedition，butinsteadofgoingintheboatsthefirstday，IhiredhorsestotakemetoChacao，atthenorthernextremityoftheisland。Theroadfollowedthecoast；everynowandthencrossingpromontoriescoveredbyfineforests。Intheseshadedpathsitisabsolutelynecessarythatthewholeroadshouldbemadeoflogsofwood，whicharesquaredandplacedbythesideofeachother。Fromtheraysofthesunneverpenetratingtheevergreenfoliage，thegroundissodampandsoft，thatexceptbythismeansneithermannorhorsewouldbeabletopassalong。IarrivedatthevillageofChacaoshortlyafterthetentsbelongingtotheboatswerepitchedforthenight。
Thelandinthisneighbourhoodhasbeenextensivelycleared，andthereweremanyquietandmostpicturesquenooksintheforest。Chacaowasformerlytheprincipalportintheisland；butmanyvesselshavingbeenlost，owingtothedangerouscurrentsandrocksinthestraits，theSpanishgovernmentburntthechurch，andthusarbitrarilycompelledthegreaternumberofinhabitantstomigratetoS。Carlos。Wehadnotlongbivouacked，beforethebarefootedsonofthegovernorcamedowntoreconnoitreus。SeeingtheEnglishflaghoistedattheyawl’smast-head，heaskedwiththeutmostindifference，whetheritwasalwaystoflyatChacao。Inseveralplacestheinhabitantsweremuchastonishedattheappearanceofmen-of-war’sboats，andhopedandbelieveditwastheforerunnerofaSpanishfleet，comingtorecovertheislandfromthepatriotgovernmentofChile。Allthemeninpower，however，hadbeeninformedofourintendedvisit，andwereexceedinglycivil。Whilewewereeatingoursupper，thegovernorpaidusavisit。Hehadbeenalieutenant-colonelintheSpanishservice，butnowwasmiserablypoor。Hegaveustwosheep，andacceptedinreturntwocottonhandkerchiefs，somebrasstrinkets，andalittletobacco。
25th——Torrentsofrain：wemanaged，however，torundownthecoastasfarasHuapi-lenou。ThewholeofthiseasternsideofChiloehasoneaspect；itisaplain，brokenbyvalleysanddividedintolittleislands，andthewholethicklycoveredwithoneimperviousblackish-greenforest。
Onthemarginstherearesomeclearedspaces，surroundingthehigh-roofedcottages。
