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Show 112 LETTER FROM MR. W. H. HUDSON. [Feb. 24, of the Yung-lin mountains, between Tibet and the Chinese province of Sechuen. Mr. P. L. Sclater exhibited, and made remarks on, a specimen of a newly described Lemur of the genus Indris from Madagascar, which had been placed in his hands by Mr. A. J. Franks, jun., for that purpose. This animal was stated to have been discovered by Mr. Van Dam during his recent explorations in North-eastern Madagascar, and to have been described by Mr. F. Pollen, C.M.Z.S., under the name Propithecus damanus. A second letter on the ornithology of Buenos Ayres*, addressed to the Secretary by Mr. William H. Hudson, was read. It was as " Buenos Ayres, December 22nd, 1869. " S I R , - A few days ago I wrote you a letter, in which I spoke of the wood bordering on the Plata, and of some of its birds. I will now send you another letter on the same subject. " South of the city of Buenos Ayres, the low shore of the river is from six to eight miles in width ; but for more than half this width the portion furthest from the river is frequently inundated, and covered with reeds and aquatic plants. Passing this there occurs a strip of light and dry land, running parallel with the river, composed chiefly of fossil shells, and grown over with a forest of low trees. In some places this high ground is extremely narrow; in others there are great breaks in it, through which the river passes when greatly swollen. In this strip of forest may be found all the birds inhabiting Buenos Ayres that perch on trees, not even excepting the Pampas Woodpecker (Colaptes campestris), of which Mr. Darwin has so unfortunately said:-' It is a Woodpecker which never climbs a tree' (Origin of Species, p. 165). I will reserve for another letter an account of this interesting bird. Between the strips of high ground I have mentioned aud the river itself is a low swampy region, often flooded, and covered with sayus- trees, interspersed with beds of aquatic shrubs, canes, and reeds. Though there is here in summer a tropical profusion of splendid flowers, the sombre foliage of the trees, and sere withering colour of the reeds, give it a peculiarly sad and desolate appearance. This sayus-sv/armp is a great breeding-place for the Carranchos (Polybori) and other Hawks, of which there are great numbers of all the species known in this country. But in this region I have met with a very few species of the small birds found on the pampas. This part of its fauna, like its vegetation, being derived from the north, differs from that of the adjacent country. All such species as are found exclusively in the riverine forest which I have described may be considered as reaching the extreme southern limit of their geographical range at about one degree south of the city of Buenos Ayres. I will now tell you what I have learned of some of these, and will mention others in future. * See antea, p. 83, for Mr. Hudson's first letter.-ED. |
