improving to a young naturalist, than a journey in distant countries. It both sharpens, and partly allays that want and craving, which, as Sir J. Herschel remarks, a man experiences although every corporeal sense be fully satisfied. The excitement from the novelty of objects, and the chance of success, stimulate him to increased activity. Moreover, as a number of isolated facts soon become uninteresting, the habit of comparison leads to generalization. On the other hand, as the traveller stays but a short time in each place, his descriptions must generally consist of mere sketches, instead of detailed observations. Hence arises, as I have found to my cost, a constant tendency to fill up the wide gaps of knowledge, by inaccurate and superficial hypotheses. But I have too deeply enjoyed the voyage, not to recommend any naturalist, although he must not expect to be so fortunate in his companions as I have been, to take all chances, and to start, on travels by land if possible, if otherwise on a long voyage. He may feel assured, he will meet with no difficulties or dangers, excepting in rare cases, nearly so bad as he beforehand anticipates. In a moral point of view, the effect ought to be, to teach him good-humoured patience, freedom from selfishness, the habit of acting for himself, and of making the best of every occurrence. In short, he ought to partake of the characteristic qualities of most sailors. Travelling ought also to teach him distrust; but at the same time he will discover, how many truly kind-hearted people there are, with whom he never before had, or ever again will have any further communication, who yet are ready to offer him the most disinterested assistance. NOTE.—The snake, described at page 96, with the curious habit of vibrating its tail, is a new species of Trigonocephalus, which M. Bibron proposes to call T. crepitans. Blackwall, Mr., on spiders, 161 Bolas, manner of using, 44, 111 Bones of the guanaco collected in cer- fire made of, 194 recent in Pampas, 134 fossil, 81, 127, 130, 155, 173 Bory St. Vincent on frogs, 381 Bramador, El, 361 Brazil, great area of granite, 12 Bridge of hide, 262 of Incas, 334, 356 Buckland, Dr., on fossils, 132 Buffon on American animals, 173 Buildings, Indian, 356 to 359, Bulimus on desert places, 347 Burchell, Mr., on food of quadrupeds, Camelidæ, fossil animal allied to, 172 Canis fulvipes, 280 Capybara, or carpincho, 49, 287 Cape Horn, 211 Cape of Good Hope, 85 Castro, Chiloe, 278, 294 Cathartes, 58, 184, 284 good to eat, 117 146 killed by great droughts, 134, know each other, 145 curious breed of, 145 I wild at the Falkland Islands, Cauquenes, hot springs of, 263 of discoloured sea, 14 Cavia Patagonica, 69 Chalk-like mud, 465 Chamisso on drifted seeds and trees, on coral reefs, 467 |