Pampas grass: Indianson the look-out for strayed horses
THE NATURALIST IN LA PLATA
BY
W. H. HUDSON, C.M.Z.S.
JOINT AUTHOR OF"ARGENTINE ORNITHOLOGY"
WHITE-BANDEDMOCKING-BIRD
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BYJ. SMIT
THIRDEDITION.
NEW YORK
D. APPLETON ANDCOMPANY
1895
PREFACE.
THE plan I havefollowed in this work has been to sift and arrange the facts Ihave gathered concerning the habits of the animals best known tome, preserving those only, which, in my judgment, appeared worthrecording. In some instances a variety of subjects have linkedthemselves together in my mind, and have been grouped under oneheading; consequently the scope of the book is not indicated bythe list of contents: this want is, however, made good by anindex at the end.
It is seldom an easymatter to give a suitable name to a book of this description. Iam conscious that the one I have made choice of displays a lackof originality; also, that this kind of title has been usedhitherto for works constructed more or less on the plan of thefamous Naturalist on the Amazons. After I have made thisapology the reader, on his part, will readily admit that, intreating of the Natural History of a district so well known, andoften described as the southern portion of La Plata, which has atemperate climate, and where nature is neither exuberant norgrand, a personal narrative would have seemedsuperfluous.
The greater portionof the matter contained in
VI
Preface.
this volume hasalready seen the light in the form of papers contributed to theField, with other journals that treat of Natural History;and to the monthly magazines :--Longmans', The NineteenthCentury, The Gentleman's Magazine, and others : I am indebtedto the Editors and Proprietors of these periodicals for kindlyallowing me to make use of this material.
Of all animals,birds have perhaps afforded me most pleasure; but most of thefresh knowledge I have collected in this department is containedin a larger work (Argentine Ornithology), of which Dr. P.L. Sclater is part author. As I have not gone over any of thesubjects dealt with in that work, bird-life has not received morethan a fair share of attention in the present volume.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. THE DESERTPAMPAS ....... 1
CHAPTER II. CUB PUMA,OR LION OF AMERICA 31
CHAPTER III. WAVE OFLIFE ........ 59