DuringourdifferentpassagessouthofthePlata，Ioftentowedasternanetmadeofbunting，andthuscaughtmanycuriousanimals。OfCrustaceathereweremanystrangeandundescribedgenera。One，whichinsomerespectsisalliedtotheNotopodsorthosecrabswhichhavetheirposteriorlegsplacedalmostontheirbacks，forthepurposeofadheringtotheundersideofrocks，isveryremarkablefromthestructureofitshindpairoflegs。Thepenultimatejoint，insteadofterminatinginasimpleclaw，endsinthreebristle-likeappendagesofdissimilarlengths——thelongestequallingthatoftheentireleg。Theseclawsareverythin，andareserratedwiththefinestteeth，directedbackwards：theircurvedextremitiesareflattened，andonthispartfivemostminutecupsareplacedwhichseemtoactinthesamemannerasthesuckersonthearmsofthecuttle-fish。
Astheanimallivesintheopensea，andprobablywantsaplaceofrest，Isupposethisbeautifulandmostanomalousstructureisadaptedtotakeholdoffloatingmarineanimals。
Indeepwater，farfromtheland，thenumberoflivingcreaturesisextremelysmall：southofthelatitude35degs。，Ineversucceededincatchinganythingbesidessomeberoe，andafewspeciesofminuteentomostracouscrustacea。Inshoalerwater，atthedistanceofafewmilesfromthecoast，verymanykindsofcrustaceaandsomeotheranimalsarenumerous，butonlyduringthenight。Betweenlatitudes56and57degs。southofCapeHorn，thenetwasputasternseveraltimes；itnever，however，broughtupanythingbesidesafewoftwoextremelyminutespeciesofEntomostraca。Yetwhalesandseals，petrelsandalbatross，areexceedinglyabundantthroughoutthispartoftheocean。Ithasalwaysbeenamysterytomeonwhatthealbatross，whichlivesfarfromtheshore，cansubsist；Ipresumethat，likethecondor，itisabletofastlong；andthatonegoodfeastonthecarcassofaputridwhalelastsforalongtime。ThecentralandintertropicalpartsoftheAtlanticswarmwithPteropoda，Crustacea，andRadiata，andwiththeirdevourerstheflying-fish，andagainwiththeirdevourersthebonitosandalbicores；
IpresumethatthenumerouslowerpelagicanimalsfeedontheInfusoria，whicharenowknown，fromtheresearchesofEhrenberg，toaboundintheopenocean：butonwhat，intheclearbluewater，dotheseInfusoriasubsist？
WhilesailingalittlesouthofthePlataononeverydarknight，theseapresentedawonderfulandmostbeautifulspectacle。Therewasafreshbreeze，andeverypartofthesurface，whichduringthedayisseenasfoam，nowglowedwithapalelight。Thevesseldrovebeforeherbowstwobillowsofliquidphosphorus，andinherwakeshewasfollowedbyamilkytrain。Asfarastheeyereached，thecrestofeverywavewasbright，andtheskyabovethehorizon，fromthereflectedglareoftheselividflames，wasnotsoutterlyobscureasoverthevaultoftheheavens。
Asweproceedfurthersouthwardtheseaisseldomphosphorescent；andoffCapeHornIdonotrecollectmorethanoncehavingseenitso，andthenitwasfarfrombeingbrilliant。Thiscircumstanceprobablyhasacloseconnectionwiththescarcityoforganicbeingsinthatpartoftheocean。Aftertheelaboratepaper，[8]byEhrenberg，onthephosphorescenceofthesea，itisalmostsuperfluousonmyparttomakeanyobservationsonthesubject。Imayhoweveradd，thatthesametornandirregularparticlesofgelatinousmatter，describedbyEhrenberg，seeminthesouthernaswellasinthenorthernhemisphere，tobethecommoncauseofthisphenomenon。Theparticlesweresominuteaseasilytopassthroughfinegauze；yetmanyweredistinctlyvisiblebythenakedeye。
Thewaterwhenplacedinatumblerandagitated，gaveoutsparks，butasmallportioninawatch-glassscarcelyeverwasluminous。Ehrenbergstatesthattheseparticlesallretainacertaindegreeofirritability。Myobservations，someofwhichweremadedirectlyaftertakingupthewater，gaveadifferentresult。Imayalsomention，thathavingusedthenetduringonenight，Iallowedittobecomepartiallydry，andhavingoccasiontwelvehoursafterwardstoemployitagain，Ifoundthewholesurfacesparkledasbrightlyaswhenfirsttakenoutofthewater。Itdoesnotappearprobableinthiscase，thattheparticlescouldhaveremainedsolongalive。Ononeoccasionhavingkeptajelly-fishofthegenusDianaeatillitwasdead，thewaterinwhichitwasplacedbecameluminous。Whenthewavesscintillatewithbrightgreensparks，Ibelieveitisgenerallyowingtominutecrustacea。
Buttherecanbenodoubtthatverymanyotherpelagicanimals，whenalive，arephosphorescent。
OntwooccasionsIhaveobservedthesealuminousatconsiderabledepthsbeneaththesurface。NearthemouthofthePlatasomecircularandovalpatches，fromtwotofouryardsindiameter，andwithdefinedoutlines，shonewithasteadybutpalelight；whilethesurroundingwateronlygaveoutafewsparks。Theappearanceresembledthereflectionofthemoon，orsomeluminousbody；fortheedgesweresinuousfromtheundulationsofthesurface。Theship，whichdrewthirteenfeetofwater，passedover，withoutdisturbingthesepatches。Thereforewemustsupposethatsomeanimalswerecongregatedtogetheratagreaterdepththanthebottomofthevessel。
NearFernandoNoronhatheseagaveoutlightinflashes。Theappearancewasverysimilartothatwhichmightbeexpectedfromalargefishmovingrapidlythroughaluminousfluid。Tothiscausethesailorsattributedit；atthetime，however，Ientertainedsomedoubts，onaccountofthefrequencyandrapidityoftheflashes。Ihavealreadyremarkedthatthephenomenonisverymuchmorecommoninwarmthanincoldcountries；andIhavesometimesimaginedthatadisturbedelectricalconditionoftheatmospherewasmostfavourabletoitsproduction。CertainlyIthinktheseaismostluminousafterafewdaysofmorecalmweatherthanordinary，duringwhichtimeithasswarmedwithvariousanimals。Observingthatthewaterchargedwithgelatinousparticlesisinanimpurestate，andthattheluminousappearanceinallcommoncasesisproducedbytheagitationofthefluidincontactwiththeatmosphere，Iaminclinedtoconsiderthatthephosphorescenceistheresultofthedecompositionoftheorganicparticles，bywhichprocessoneistemptedalmosttocallitakindofrespirationtheoceanbecomespurified。
December23rd——WearrivedatPortDesire，situatedinlat。47degs。，onthecoastofPatagonia。Thecreekrunsforabouttwentymilesinland，withanirregularwidth。TheBeagleanchoredafewmileswithintheentrance，infrontoftheruinsofanoldSpanishsettlement。
ThesameeveningIwentonshore。Thefirstlandinginanynewcountryisveryinteresting，andespeciallywhen，asinthiscase，thewholeaspectbearsthestampofamarkedandindividualcharacter。Attheheightofbetweentwoandthreehundredfeetabovesomemassesofporphyryawideplainextends，whichistrulycharacteristicofPatagonia。Thesurfaceisquitelevel，andiscomposedofwell-roundedshinglemixedwithawhitishearth。Hereandtherescatteredtuftsofbrownwirygrassaresupported，andstillmorerarely，somelowthornybushes。Theweatherisdryandpleasant，andthefineblueskyisbutseldomobscured。Whenstandinginthemiddleofoneofthesedesertplainsandlookingtowardstheinterior，theviewisgenerallyboundedbytheescarpmentofanotherplain，ratherhigher，butequallylevelanddesolate；andineveryotherdirectionthehorizonisindistinctfromthetremblingmiragewhichseemstorisefromtheheatedsurface。
InsuchacountrythefateoftheSpanishsettlementwassoondecided；
thedrynessoftheclimateduringthegreaterpartoftheyear，andtheoccasionalhostileattacksofthewanderingIndians，compelledthecoloniststodeserttheirhalf-finishedbuildings。Thestyle，however，inwhichtheywerecommencedshowsthestrongandliberalhandofSpainintheoldtime。
TheresultofalltheattemptstocolonizethissideofAmericasouthof41degs。，hasbeenmiserable。PortFamineexpressesbyitsnamethelingeringandextremesufferingsofseveralhundredwretchedpeople，ofwhomonealonesurvivedtorelatetheirmisfortunes。AtSt。Joseph’sBay，onthecoastofPatagonia，asmallsettlementwasmade；butduringoneSundaytheIndiansmadeanattackandmassacredthewholeparty，exceptingtwomen，whoremainedcaptivesduringmanyyears。AttheRioNegroIconversedwithoneofthesemen，nowinextremeoldage。
ThezoologyofPatagoniaisaslimitedasitsflora。[9]OnthearidplainsafewblackbeetlesHeteromeramightbeseenslowlycrawlingabout，andoccasionallyalizarddartedfromsidetoside。Ofbirdswehavethreecarrionhawksandinthevalleysafewfinchesandinsect-feeders。AnibisTheristicusmelanops——aspeciessaidtobefoundincentralAfricaisnotuncommononthemostdesertparts：intheirstomachsIfoundgrasshoppers，cicadae，smalllizards，andevenscorpions。[10]Atonetimeoftheyearthesebirdsgoinflocks，atanotherinpairs，theircryisveryloudandsingular，liketheneighingoftheguanaco。
Theguanaco，orwildllama，isthecharacteristicquadrupedoftheplainsofPatagonia；itistheSouthAmericanrepresentativeofthecameloftheEast。Itisanelegantanimalinastateofnature，withalongslenderneckandfinelegs。Itisverycommonoverthewholeofthetemperatepartsofthecontinent，asfarsouthastheislandsnearCapeHorn。Itgenerallylivesinsmallherdsoffromhalfadozentothirtyineach；butonthebanksoftheSt。Cruzwesawoneherdwhichmusthavecontainedatleastfivehundred。
Theyaregenerallywildandextremelywary。Mr。Stokestoldme，thatheonedaysawthroughaglassaherdoftheseanimalswhichevidentlyhadbeenfrightened，andwererunningawayatfullspeed，althoughtheirdistancewassogreatthathecouldnotdistinguishthemwithhisnakedeye。Thesportsmanfrequentlyreceivesthefirstnoticeoftheirpresence，byhearingfromalongdistancetheirpeculiarshrillneighingnoteofalarm。Ifhethenlooksattentively，hewillprobablyseetheherdstandinginalineonthesideofsomedistanthill。Onapproachingnearer，afewmoresquealsaregiven，andofftheysetatanapparentlyslow，butreallyquickcanter，alongsomenarrowbeatentracktoaneighbouringhill。If，however，bychanceheabruptlymeetsasingleanimal，orseveraltogether，theywillgenerallystandmotionlessandintentlygazeathim；thenperhapsmoveonafewyards，turnround，andlookagain。Whatisthecauseofthisdifferenceintheirshyness？Dotheymistakeamaninthedistancefortheirchiefenemythepuma？Ordoescuriosityovercometheirtimidity？
Thattheyarecuriousiscertain；forifapersonliesontheground，andplaysstrangeantics，suchasthrowinguphisfeetintheair，theywillalmostalwaysapproachbydegreestoreconnoitrehim。Itwasanartificethatwasrepeatedlypractisedbyoursportsmenwithsuccess，andithadmoreovertheadvantageofallowingseveralshotstobefired，whichwerealltakenaspartsoftheperformance。OnthemountainsofTierradelFuego，Ihavemorethanonceseenaguanaco，onbeingapproached，notonlyneighandsqueal，butpranceandleapaboutinthemostridiculousmanner，apparentlyindefianceasachallenge。Theseanimalsareveryeasilydomesticated，andIhaveseensomethuskeptinnorthernPatagonianearahouse，thoughnotunderanyrestraint。Theyareinthisstateverybold，andreadilyattackamanbystrikinghimfrombehindwithbothknees。Itisassertedthatthemotivefortheseattacksisjealousyonaccountoftheirfemales。
Thewildguanacos，however，havenoideaofdefence；evenasingledogwillsecureoneoftheselargeanimals，tillthehuntsmancancomeup。
Inmanyoftheirhabitstheyarelikesheepinaflock。Thuswhentheyseemenapproachinginseveraldirectionsonhorseback，theysoonbecomebewildered，andknownotwhichwaytorun。ThisgreatlyfacilitatestheIndianmethodofhunting，fortheyarethuseasilydriventoacentralpoint，andareencompassed。
Theguanacosreadilytaketothewater：severaltimesatPortValdestheywereseenswimmingfromislandtoisland。Byron，inhisvoyagesayshesawthemdrinkingsaltwater。SomeofourofficerslikewisesawaherdapparentlydrinkingthebrinyfluidfromasalinanearCapeBlanco。Iimagineinseveralpartsofthecountry，iftheydonotdrinksaltwater，theydrinknoneatall。Inthemiddleofthedaytheyfrequentlyrollinthedust，insaucer-shapedhollows。Themalesfighttogether；twoonedaypassedquiteclosetome，squealingandtryingtobiteeachother；andseveralwereshotwiththeirhidesdeeplyscored。Herdssometimesappeartosetoutonexploringparties：atBahiaBlanca，where，withinthirtymilesofthecoast，theseanimalsareextremelyunfrequent，Ionedaysawthetracksofthirtyorforty，whichhadcomeinadirectlinetoamuddysalt-watercreek。Theythenmusthaveperceivedthattheywereapproachingthesea，fortheyhadwheeledwiththeregularityofcavalry，andhadreturnedbackinasstraightalineastheyhadadvanced。Theguanacoshaveonesingularhabit，whichistomequiteinexplicable；namely，thatonsuccessivedaystheydroptheirdunginthesamedefinedheap。Isawoneoftheseheapswhichwaseightfeetindiameter，andwascomposedofalargequantity。