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object a sand hillock is. The famed country of the Rio Plata in my
opinion is not much better: an enormous brackish river, bounded by an
interminable green plain is enough to make any naturalist groan. So
Hurrah for Cape Horn and the Land of Storms. Now that I have had my
growl out, which is a privilege sailors take on all occasions, I will
turn the tables and give an account of my doing in Nat. History. I must
have one more growl: by ill luck the French Government has sent one of
its collectors to the Rio Negro, where he has been working for the last
six months, and is now gone round the Horn. So that I am very selfishly
afraid he will get the cream of all the good things before me. As I
have nobody to talk to about my luck and ill luck in collecting, I am
determined to vent it all upon you. I have been very lucky with fossil
bones; I have fragments of at least 6 distinct animals: as many of them
are teeth, I trust, shattered and rolled as they have been, they will
be recognised. I have paid all the attention I am capable of to their
geological site; but of course it is too long a story for here. 1st, I
have the tarsi and metatarsi very perfect of a Cavia; 2nd, the upper jaw
and head of some very large animal with four square hollow molars and
the head greatly protruded in front. I at first thought it belonged
either to the Megalonyx or Megatherium (4/1). The animal may probably
have been Grypotherium Darwini, Ow. The osseous plates mentioned below
must have belonged to one of the Glyptodontidae, and not to Megatherium.
We are indebted to Mr. Kerr for calling our attention to a passage in
Buckland's "Bridgewater Treatise" (Volume II., page 20, note), where
bony armour is ascribed to Megatherium.); in confirmation of this in the
same formation I found a large surface of the osseous polygonal
plates, which "late observations" (what are they?) show belong to the
Megatherium. Immediately I saw this I thought they must belong to an
enormous armadillo, living species of which genus are so abundant here.
3rd, The lower jaw of some large animal which, from the molar teeth, I
should think belonged to the Edentata; 4th, some large molar teeth which
in some respects would seem to belong to an enormous rodent; 5th, also
some smaller teeth belonging to the same order. If it interests you
sufficiently to unpack them, I shall be very curious to hear something
about them. Care must be taken in this case not to confuse the tallies.
They are mingled with marine shells which appear to me identical with
what now exist. But since they were deposited in their beds several
geological changes have taken place in the country. So much for the
dead, and now for the living: there is a poor specimen of a bird which
to my unornithological eyes appears to be a happy mixture of a lark,
pigeon and snipe (No. 710). Mr. MacLeay himself never imagined such an
inosculating creature: I suppose it will turn out to be some well-known
bird, although it has quite baffled me. I have taken some interesting
Amphibia; a new Trigonocephalus beautifully connecting in its habits
Crotalus and the Viperidae, and plenty of new (as far as my knowledge
goes) saurians. As for one little toad, I hope it may be new, that
it may be christened "diabolicus." Milton must allude to this very
individual when he talks of "squat like a toad" (4/2. "...him [Satan]
there they [Ithuriel and Zephon] found, Squat like a toad, close at the
ear of Eve" ("Paradise Lost," Book IV., line 800).
"Formerly Milton's "Paradise Lost" had been my chief favourite, and in
my excursions during the voyage of the 'Beagle,' when I could take only
a single volume, I always chose Milton" ("Autobiography," page 69).);
its colours are by Werner (4/3. Werner's "Nomenclature of Colours,"
Edinburgh, 1821.) ink black, vermilion red and buff orange. It has been
a splendid cruise for me in Nat. History. Amongst the Pelagic Crustacea,
some new and curious genera. In the Zoophytes some interesting animals.
As for one Flustra, if I had not the specimen to back me up nobody would
believe in its most anomalous structure. But as for novelty all this is
nothing to a family of pelagic animals which at first sight appear
like Medusae but are really highly organised. I have examined them
repeatedly, and certainly from their structure it would be impossible to
place them in any existing order. Perhaps Salpa is the nearest animal,
although the transparency of the body is nearly the only character they
have in common. I think the dried plants nearly contain all which were
then (Bahia Blanca) flowering. All the specimens will be packed in
casks. I think there will be three (before sending this letter I will
specify dates, etc., etc.). I am afraid you will groan or rather the
floor of the lecture room will when the casks arrive. Without you I
should be utterly undone. The small cask contains fish: will you open it
to see how the spirit has stood the evaporation of the Tropics. On board
the ship everything goes on as well as possible; the only drawback is
the fearful length of time between this and the day of our return. I do
not see any limits to it. One year is nearly completed and the second
will be so, before we even leave the east coast of S. America. And then
our voyage may be said really to have commenced. I know not how I shall
be able to endure it. The frequency with which I think of all the happy
hours I have spent at Shrewsbury and Cambridge is rather ominous--I
trust everything to time and fate and will feel my way as I go on.
November 24th.--We have been at Buenos Ayres for a week; it is a fine
large city, but such a country, everything is mud, you can go nowhere,
you can do nothing for mud. In the city I obtained much information
about the banks of the Uruguay--I hear of limestone with shells, and
beds of shells in every direction. I hope when we winter in the Plata
to have a most interesting geological excursion into that country: I
purchased fragments (Nos. 837-8) of some enormous bones, which I was
assured belonged to the former giants!! I also procured some seeds--I do
not know whether they are worth your accepting; if you think so I will
get some more. They are in the box. I have sent to you by the "Duke of
York" packet, commanded by Lieut. Snell, to Falmouth two large casks
containing fossil bones, a small cask with fish and a box containing
skins, spirit bottle, etc., and pill-boxes with beetles. Would you be
kind enough to open these latter as they are apt to become mouldy. With
the exception of the bones the rest of my collection looks very scanty.
Recollect how great a proportion of time is spent at sea. I am always
anxious to hear in what state the things come and any criticisms about
quantity or kind of specimens. In the smaller cask is part of a large
head, the anterior portions of which are in the other large one. The
packet has arrived and I am in a great bustle. You will not hear from me
for some months.
LETTER 5. TO J.S. HENSLOW. Valpara |