4degs。S。tolat。32degs。S。，maybedescribedasadesert；onthiswesterncoast，northwardoflat。4degs。S。，wherethetrade-windlosesitsregularity，andheavytorrentsofrainfallperiodically，theshoresofthePacific，soutterlydesertinPeru，assumenearCapeBlancothecharacterofluxuriancesocelebratedatGuyaquilandPanama。Henceinthesouthernandnorthernpartsofthecontinent，theforestanddesertlandsoccupyreversedpositionswithrespecttotheCordillera，andthesepositionsareapparentlydeterminedbythedirectionoftheprevalentwinds。Inthemiddleofthecontinentthereisabroadintermediateband，includingcentralChileandtheprovincesofLaPlata，wheretherain-bringingwindshavenottopassoverloftymountains，andwherethelandisneitheradesertnorcoveredbyforests。
Buteventherule，ifconfinedtoSouthAmerica，oftreesflourishingonlyinaclimaterenderedhumidbyrain-bearingwinds，hasastronglymarkedexceptioninthecaseoftheFalklandIslands。Theseislands，situatedinthesamelatitudewithTierradelFuegoandonlybetweentwoandthreehundredmilesdistantfromit，havinganearlysimilarclimate，withageologicalformationalmostidentical，withfavourablesituationsandthesamekindofpeatysoil，yetcanboastoffewplantsdeservingeventhetitleofbushes；whilstinTierradelFuegoitisimpossibletofindanacreoflandnotcoveredbythedensestforest。Inthiscase，boththedirectionoftheheavygalesofwindandofthecurrentsoftheseaarefavourabletothetransportofseedsfromTierradelFuego，asisshownbythecanoesandtrunksoftreesdriftedfromthatcountry，andfrequentlythrownontheshoresoftheWesternFalkland。Henceperhapsitis，thattherearemanyplantsincommontothetwocountriesbutwithrespecttothetreesofTierradelFuego，evenattemptsmadetotransplantthemhavefailed。
DuringourstayatMaldonadoIcollectedseveralquadrupeds，eightykindsofbirds，andmanyreptiles，includingninespeciesofsnakes。Oftheindigenousmammalia，theonlyonenowleftofanysize，whichiscommon，istheCervuscampestris。Thisdeerisexceedinglyabundant，ofteninsmallherds，throughoutthecountriesborderingthePlataandinNorthernPatagonia。
Ifapersoncrawlingclosealongtheground，slowlyadvancestowardsaherd，thedeerfrequently，outofcuriosity，approachtoreconnoitrehim。
Ihavebythismeans，killedfromonespot，threeoutofthesameherd。