WhenAmerica，andespeciallyNorthAmerica，possesseditselephants，mastodons，horse，andhollow-hornedruminants，itwasmuchmorecloselyrelatedinitszoologicalcharacterstothetemperatepartsofEuropeandAsiathanitnowis。AstheremainsofthesegeneraarefoundonbothsidesofBehring’sStraits[7]andontheplainsofSiberia，weareledtolooktothenorth-westernsideofNorthAmericaastheformerpointofcommunicationbetweentheOldandso-calledNewWorld。Andassomanyspecies，bothlivingandextinct，ofthesesamegenerainhabitandhaveinhabitedtheOldWorld，itseemsmostprobablethattheNorthAmericanelephants，mastodons，horse，andhollow-hornedruminantsmigrated，onlandsincesubmergednearBehring’sStraits，fromSiberiaintoNorthAmerica，andthence，onlandsincesubmergedintheWestIndies，intoSouthAmerica，whereforatimetheymingledwiththeformscharacteristicofthatsoutherncontinent，andhavesincebecomeextinct。
　　Whiletravellingthroughthecountry，Ireceivedseveralvividdescriptionsoftheeffectsofalategreatdrought；andtheaccountofthismaythrowsomelightonthecaseswherevastnumbersofanimalsofallkindshavebeenembeddedtogether。Theperiodincludedbetweentheyears1827and1830iscalledthe“granseco。”orthegreatdrought。Duringthistimesolittlerainfell，thatthevegetation，eventothethistles，failed；
　　thebrooksweredriedup，andthewholecountryassumedtheappearanceofadustyhighroad。ThiswasespeciallythecaseinthenorthernpartoftheprovinceofBuenosAyresandthesouthernpartofSt。Fe。Verygreatnumbersofbirds，wildanimals，cattle，andhorsesperishedfromthewantoffoodandwater。Amantoldmethatthedeer[8]usedtocomeintohiscourtyardtothewell，whichhehadbeenobligedtodigtosupplyhisownfamilywithwater；andthatthepartridgeshadhardlystrengthtoflyawaywhenpursued。ThelowestestimationofthelossofcattleintheprovinceofBuenosAyresalone，wastakenatonemillionhead。AproprietoratSanPedrohadpreviouslytotheseyears20，000
　　cattle；attheendnotoneremained。SanPedroissituatedinthemiddleofthefinestcountry；andevennowaboundsagainwithanimals；yetduringthelatterpartofthe“granseco。”livecattlewerebroughtinvesselsfortheconsumptionoftheinhabitants。Theanimalsroamedfromtheirestancias，and，wanderingfarsouthward，weremingledtogetherinsuchmultitudes，thatagovernmentcommissionwassentfromBuenosAyrestosettlethedisputesoftheowners。SirWoodbineParishinformedmeofanotherandverycurioussourceofdispute；thegroundbeingsolongdry，suchquantitiesofdustwereblownabout，thatinthisopencountrythelandmarksbecameobliterated，andpeoplecouldnottellthelimitsoftheirestates。
　　Iwasinformedbyaneye-witnessthatthecattleinherdsofthousandsrushedintotheParana，andbeingexhaustedbyhungertheywereunabletocrawlupthemuddybanks，andthusweredrowned。ThearmoftheriverwhichrunsbySanPedrowassofullofputridcarcasses，thatthemasterofavesseltoldmethatthesmellrendereditquiteimpassable。Withoutdoubtseveralhundredthousandanimalsthusperishedintheriver：theirbodieswhenputridwereseenfloatingdownthestream；andmanyinallprobabilityweredepositedintheestuaryofthePlata。Allthesmallriversbecamehighlysaline，andthiscausedthedeathofvastnumbersinparticularspots；forwhenananimaldrinksofsuchwateritdoesnotrecover。Azaradescribes[9]thefuryofthewildhorsesonasimilaroccasion，rushingintothemarshes，thosewhicharrivedfirstbeingoverwhelmedandcrushedbythosewhichfollowed。Headdsthatmorethanoncehehasseenthecarcassesofupwardsofathousandwildhorsesthusdestroyed。
　　InoticedthatthesmallerstreamsinthePampaswerepavedwithabrecciaofbonesbutthisprobablyistheeffectofagradualincrease，ratherthanofthedestructionatanyoneperiod。Subsequentlytothedroughtof1827to1832，averyrainyseasonfollowedwhichcausedgreatfloods。
　　Henceitisalmostcertainthatsomethousandsoftheskeletonswereburiedbythedepositsoftheverynextyear。Whatwouldbetheopinionofageologist，viewingsuchanenormouscollectionofbones，ofallkindsofanimalsandofallages，thusembeddedinonethickearthymass？Wouldhenotattributeittoafloodhavingsweptoverthesurfaceoftheland，ratherthantothecommonorderofthings？[10]
　　October12th——Ihadintendedtopushmyexcursionfurther，butnotbeingquitewell，Iwascompelledtoreturnbyabalandra，orone-mastedvesselofaboutahundredtons’burden，whichwasboundtoBuenosAyres。
　　Astheweatherwasnotfair，wemooredearlyinthedaytoabranchofatreeononeoftheislands。TheParanaisfullofislands，whichundergoaconstantroundofdecayandrenovation。Inthememoryofthemasterseverallargeoneshaddisappeared，andothersagainhadbeenformedandprotectedbyvegetation。Theyarecomposedofmuddysand，withouteventhesmallestpebble，andwerethenaboutfourfeetabovetheleveloftheriver；butduringtheperiodicalfloodstheyareinundated。Theyallpresentonecharacter；
　　numerouswillowsandafewothertreesareboundtogetherbyagreatvarietyofcreepingplants，thusformingathickjungle。Thesethicketsaffordaretreatforcapybarasandjaguars。Thefearofthelatteranimalquitedestroyedallpleasureinscramblingthroughthewoods。ThiseveningI
　　hadnotproceededahundredyards，beforefindingindubitablesignsoftherecentpresenceofthetiger，Iwasobligedtocomeback。Oneveryislandthereweretracks；andasontheformerexcursion“elrastrodelosIndios“hadbeenthesubjectofconversation，sointhiswas“elrastrodeltigre。”Thewoodedbanksofthegreatriversappeartobethefavouritehauntsofthejaguar；butsouthofthePlata，Iwastoldthattheyfrequentedthereedsborderinglakes：wherevertheyare，theyseemtorequirewater。
　　Theircommonpreyisthecapybara，sothatitisgenerallysaid，wherecapybarasarenumerousthereislittledangerfromthejaguar。FalconerstatesthatnearthesouthernsideofthemouthofthePlatatherearemanyjaguars，andthattheychieflyliveonfish；thisaccountIhaveheardrepeated。OntheParanatheyhavekilledmanywood-cutters，andhaveevenenteredvesselsatnight。ThereisamannowlivingintheBajada，who，comingupfrombelowwhenitwasdark，wasseizedonthedeck；heescaped，however，withthelossoftheuseofonearm。Whenthefloodsdrivetheseanimalsfromtheislands，theyaremostdangerous。IwastoldthatafewyearssinceaverylargeonefounditswayintoachurchatSt。Fe：twopadresenteringoneaftertheotherwerekilled，andathird，whocametoseewhatwasthematter，escapedwithdifficulty。Thebeastwasdestroyedbybeingshotfromacornerofthebuildingwhichwasunroofed。Theycommitalsoatthesetimesgreatravagesamongcattleandhorses。Itissaidthattheykilltheirpreybybreakingtheirnecks。Ifdrivenfromthecarcass，theyseldomreturntoit。TheGauchossaythatthejaguar，whenwanderingaboutatnight，ismuchtormentedbythefoxesyelpingastheyfollowhim。
　　Thisisacuriouscoincidencewiththefactwhichisgenerallyaffirmedofthejackalsaccompanying，inasimilarlyofficiousmanner，theEastIndiantiger。Thejaguarisanoisyanimal，roaringmuchbynight，andespeciallybeforebadweather。
　　Oneday，whenhuntingonthebanksoftheUruguay，Iwasshowncertaintrees，towhichtheseanimalsconstantlyrecurforthepurpose，asitissaid，ofsharpeningtheirclaws。Isawthreewell-knowntrees；infront，thebarkwaswornsmooth，asifbythebreastoftheanimal，andoneachsidethereweredeepscratches，orrathergrooves，extendinginanobliqueline，nearlyayardinlength。Thescarswereofdifferentages。Acommonmethodofascertainingwhetherajaguarisintheneighbourhoodistoexaminethesetrees。Iimaginethishabitofthejaguarisexactlysimilartoonewhichmayanydaybeseeninthecommoncat，aswithoutstretchedlegsandexsertedclawsitscrapesthelegofachair；andIhaveheardofyoungfruit-treesinanorchardinEnglandhavingbeenthusmuchinjured。Somesuchhabitmustalsobecommontothepuma，foronthebarehardsoilofPatagoniaIhavefrequentlyseenscoressodeepthatnootheranimalcouldhavemadethem。Theobjectofthispracticeis，Ibelieve，totearofftheraggedpointsoftheirclaws，andnot，astheGauchosthink，tosharpenthem。Thejaguariskilled，withoutmuchdifficulty，bytheaidofdogsbayinganddrivinghimupatree，whereheisdespatchedwithbullets。
　　Owingtobadweatherweremainedtwodaysatourmoorings。Ouronlyamusementwascatchingfishforourdinner：therewereseveralkinds，andallgoodeating。Afishcalledthe“armado“aSilurusisremarkablefromaharshgratingnoisewhichitmakeswhencaughtbyhookandline，andwhichcanbedistinctlyheardwhenthefishisbeneaththewater。Thissamefishhasthepoweroffirmlycatchingholdofanyobject，suchasthebladeofanoarorthefishing-line，withthestrongspinebothofitspectoralanddorsalfin。Intheeveningtheweatherwasquitetropical，thethermometerstandingat79degs。Numbersoffireflieswerehoveringabout，andthemusquitoeswereverytroublesome。Iexposedmyhandforfiveminutes，anditwassoonblackwiththem；Idonotsupposetherecouldhavebeenlessthanfifty，allbusysucking。
　　October15th——WegotunderwayandpassedPuntaGorda，wherethereisacolonyoftameIndiansfromtheprovinceofMissiones。Wesailedrapidlydownthecurrent，butbeforesunset，fromasillyfearofbadweather，webrought-toinanarrowarmoftheriver。Itooktheboatandrowedsomedistanceupthiscreek。Itwasverynarrow，winding，anddeep；oneachsideawallthirtyorfortyfeethigh，formedbytreesintwinedwithcreepers，gavetothecanalasingularlygloomyappearance。Iheresawaveryextraordinarybird，calledtheScissor-beakRhynchopsnigra。Ithasshortlegs，webfeet，extremelylong-pointedwings，andisofaboutthesizeofatern。
　　Thebeakisflattenedlaterally，thatis，inaplaneatrightanglestothatofaspoonbillorduck。Itisasflatandelasticasanivorypaper-cutter，andthelowermandible，differingfromeveryotherbird，isaninchandahalflongerthantheupper。InalakenearMaldonado，fromwhichthewaterhadbeennearlydrained，andwhich，inconsequence，swarmedwithsmallfry，Isawseveralofthesebirds，generallyinsmallflocks，flyingrapidlybackwardsandforwardsclosetothesurfaceofthelake。Theykepttheirbillswideopen，andthelowermandiblehalfburiedinthewater。
　　Thusskimmingthesurface，theyplougheditintheircourse：thewaterwasquitesmooth，anditformedamostcuriousspectacletobeholdaflock，eachbirdleavingitsnarrowwakeonthemirror-likesurface。Intheirflighttheyfrequentlytwistaboutwithextremequickness，anddexterouslymanagewiththeirprojectinglowermandibletoploughupsmallfish，whicharesecuredbytheupperandshorterhalfoftheirscissor-like[picture]
　　bills。ThisfactIrepeatedlysaw，as，likeswallows，theycontinuedtoflybackwardsandforwardsclosebeforeme。Occasionallywhenleavingthesurfaceofthewatertheirflightwaswild，irregular，andrapid；theythenutteredloudharshcries。Whenthesebirdsarefishing，theadvantageofthelongprimaryfeathersoftheirwings，inkeepingthemdry，isveryevident。Whenthusemployed，theirformsresemblethesymbolbywhichmanyartistsrepresentmarinebirds。Theirtailsaremuchusedinsteeringtheirirregularcourse。
　　ThesebirdsarecommonfarinlandalongthecourseoftheRioParana；
　　itissaidthattheyremainhereduringthewholeyear，andbreedinthemarshes。Duringthedaytheyrestinflocksonthegrassyplainsatsomedistancefromthewater。Beingatanchor，asIhavesaid，inoneofthedeepcreeksbetweentheislandsoftheParana，astheeveningdrewtoaclose，oneofthesescissor-beakssuddenlyappeared。Thewaterwasquitestill，andmanylittlefishwererising。Thebirdcontinuedforalongtimetoskimthesurface，flyinginitswildandirregularmannerupanddownthenarrowcanal，nowdarkwiththegrowingnightandtheshadowsoftheoverhangingtrees。AtMonteVideo，Iobservedthatsomelargeflocksduringthedayremainedonthemud-banksattheheadoftheharbour，inthesamemannerasonthegrassyplainsneartheParana；andeveryeveningtheytookflightseaward。FromthesefactsIsuspectthattheRhynchopsgenerallyfishesbynight，atwhichtimemanyoftheloweranimalscomemostabundantlytothesurface。M。Lessonstatesthathehasseenthesebirdsopeningtheshellsofthemactraeburiedinthesand-banksonthecoastofChile：fromtheirweakbills，withthelowermandiblesomuchprojecting，theirshortlegsandlongwings，itisveryimprobablethatthiscanbeageneralhabit。