talents and disinterested zeal of the above distinguished authors, could not have been undertaken, had it not been for the liberality of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, who, through the representation of the Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer, have been pleased to grant a sum of one thousand pounds towards defraying part of the expenses of publication. . I have myself published separate volumes on the Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs; on the Volcanic Islands visited during the Voyage of the Beagle;' and on the Geology of South America. The sixth volume of the Geological Transactions' contains two papers of mine on the Erratic Boulders and Volcanic Phenomena of South America. Messrs. Waterhouse, Walker, Newman, and White, have published several able papers on the Insects which were collected, and I trust that many others will hereafter follow. The plants from the southern parts of America will be given by Dr. J. Hooker, in his great work on the Botany of the Southern Hemisphere. The Flora of the Galapagos Archipelago is the subject of a separate memoir by him, in the Linnean Transactions.' The Reverend Professor Henslow has published a list of the plants collected by me at the Keeling Islands; and the Reverend J. M. Berkeley has described my cryptogamic plants. I shall have the pleasure of acknowledging the great assistance which I have received from several other naturalists, in the course of this and my other works; but I must be here allowed to return my most sincere thanks to the Reverend Professor Henslow, who, when I was an under-graduate at Cambridge, was one chief means of giving me a taste for Natural History, —who, during my absence, took charge of the collections I sent home, and by his correspondence directed my endeavours,—and who, since my return, has constantly rendered me every assistance which the kindest friend could offer. Down, Bromley, Kent. June, 1845. PREFACE, vii POSTSCRIPT. I TAKE the opportunity of a new edition of my Journal to correct a few errors. At page 83 I have stated that the majority of the shells which were embedded with the extinct mammals at Punta Alta, in Bahia Blanca, were still living species. These shells have since been examined (see 'Geological Observations in South America,' p. 83) by M. Alcide d'Orbigny, and he pronounces them all to be recent. M. Aug. Bravard has lately described, in a Spanish work ('Observaciones Geologicas,' 1857), this district, and he believes that the bones of the extinct mammals were washed out of the underlying Pampean deposit, and subsequently became embedded with the still existing shells; but I am not convinced by his remarks. M. Bravard believes that the whole enormous Pampean deposit is a sub-aërial formation, like sand-dunes: this seems to me to be an untenable doctrine. At page 378 I give a list of the birds inhabiting the Galapagos Archipelago. The progress of research has shown that some of these birds, which were then thought to be confined to the islands, occur on the American continent. The eminent ornithologist, Mr. Sclater, informs me that this is the case with the Strix punctatissima and Pyrocephalus nanus; and probably with the Otus galapagoensis and Zenaida galapagoensis: so that the number of endemic birds is reduced to twenty-three, or probably to twentyone. Mr. Sclater thinks that one or two of these endemic forms should be ranked rather as varieties than species, which always seemed to me probable. The snake mentioned at page 381, as being, on the authority of M. Bibron, the same with a Chilian species, is stated by Dr. Günter (Zoolog. Soc., Jan. 24th, 1859) to be a peculiar species, not known to inhabit any other country. Feb. 1st, 1860. CONTENTS. Excursion to St. Fé-Thistle-Beds-Habits of Relation of the Fossil and recentQuadrupeds Scissor-tail-Revolution-Buenos Ayres- CHAPTER VIII. logy of America-Causes of Extinction. 142 CHAPTER IX. Santa Cruz-Expedition up Indian Relics-Return to the Ship-Falk- land Islands-Wild Horses, Cattle, Rabbits- Wolf-like Fox-Fire made of Bones-Man- ner of hunting Wild Cattle — Geology- -Structure of the Land-Ascend the Bell of Quillota-Shattered Masses of Greenstone- Immense Valleys-Mines-State of Miners -Santiago-Hot-baths of Cauquenes-Gold- mines-Grinding-mills-Perforated Stones Coast-road to Coquimbo-Great loads carried by the miners-Coquimbo-Earthquake- Step-formed terraces-Absence of recent de- posits-Contemporaneousness of the Tertiary formations-Excursion up the valley-Road to Guasco-Deserts-Valley of Copiapó- Rain and earthquakes-Hydrophobia-The Despoblado-Indian Ruins-Probable change of climate-River-bed arched by an earth- quake-Cold gales of wind-Noises from a hill-Iquique-Salt alluvium Nitrate of soda-Lima-Unhealthy country-Ruins of Callao, overthgown by an earthquake-Recent subsidence-Elevated shells on San Lorenzo, their decomposition-Plain with embedded canic-Number of craters-Leafless bushes- Colony at Charles Island-James Island--- Salt-lake in crater-Natural History of the group Ornithology, curious finches-Rep- tiles-Great tortoises, habits of—Marine li. zard, feeds on sea-weed-Terrestrial lizard, burrowing habits, herbivorous-Importance of reptiles in the Archipelago-Fish, shells, insects-Botany-American type of organi- zation-Differences in the species or races on different islands-Tameness of the birds- Fear of man, an acquired instinct...... 372 Pass through the Low Archipelago-Tahiti- Aspect-Vegetation on the Mountains-View of Eimeo-Excursion into the Interior-Pro- found Ravines-Succession of Waterfalls- Number of wild useful Plants-Temperance of the Inhabitants-Their moral state-Par- liament convened-New Zealand-Bay of Islands-Hippahs-Excursion to Waimate- Missionary Establishment-English Weeds now run wild-Waiomio-Funeral of a New Zealand Woman-Sail for Australia.... 402 Sydney-Excursion to Bathurst-Aspect of the Woods-Party of Natives-Gradual extinc- tion of the Aborigines-Infection generated by associated men in health-Blue Moun- tains-View of the grand gulf-like Valleys- Their origin and formation-Bathurst, gene- ral civility of the lower orders-State of So- ciety-Van Diemen's Land-Hobart Town -Aborigines all banished-Mount Welling- ton-King George's Sound-Cheerless aspect of the Country-Bald Head, calcareous casts Ebbing and flowing Wells Fields of dead Coral-Stones transported in the roots of trees- Great Crab-Stinging Corals - Coral-eating Fish-Coral Formations-La- goon Islands, or Atolls-Depth at which reef- building Corals can live-Vast Areas inter- spersed with low Coral Islands-Subsidence of their foundations-Barrier Reefs-Fring ing Reefs-Conversion of Fringing Reefs into Barrier Reefs, and into Atolls-Evidence of changes in Level-Breaches in Barrier Reefs -Maldiva Atolls; their peculiar structure- Dead and submerged Reefs-Areas of subsi dence and elevation--Distribution of Volcanos Subsidence slow, and vast in amount..452 Mauritius, beautiful appearance of-Great cra- teriform ring of Mountains-Hindoos-St Helena-History of the changes in the vege tation-Cause of the extinction of land-shells -Ascension-Variation in the imported rats -Volcanic Bombs-Beds of infusoria-Bahia -Brazil-Splendour of tropical scenery-Per- |