The Voyage of the Beagle - The Original Classic Edition. Darwin Charles

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СКАЧАТЬ I shall have the pleasure of acknowledging the great assistance which I have received from several other naturalists in the course

       of this and my other works; but I must be here allowed to return my

       most sincere thanks to the Reverend Professor Henslow, who, when I was an undergraduate at Cambridge, was one chief means of giving me a taste for Natural History,--who, during my absence, took charge

       of the collections I sent home, and by his correspondence directed my endeavours,--and who, since my return, has constantly rendered me every assistance which the kindest friend could offer.

       DOWN, BROMLEY, KENT, June 1845.

       CONTENTS.

       CHAPTER I.

       Porto Praya--Ribeira Grande--Atmospheric Dust with Infusoria

       --Habits of a Sea-slug and Cuttlefish--St. Paul's Rocks, non-volcanic--Singular Incrustations--Insects the first Colonists of Islands--Fernando Noronha--Bahia--Burnished

       Rocks--Habits of a Diodon--Pelagic Confervae and Infusoria-- Causes of discoloured Sea.

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       CHAPTER II.

       Rio de Janeiro--Excursion north of Cape Frio--Great

       Evaporation--Slavery--Botofogo Bay--Terrestrial Planariae

       --Clouds on the Corcovado--Heavy Rain--Musical Frogs-- Phosphorescent insects--Elater, springing powers of--Blue Haze--Noise made by a Butterfly--Entomology--Ants--Wasp killing a Spider--Parasitical Spider--Artifices of an Epeira

       --Gregarious Spider--Spider with an unsymmetrical web.

       CHAPTER III.

       Monte Video--Maldonado--Excursion to R. Polanco--Lazo and

       Bolas--Partridges--Absence of trees--Deer--Capybara, or River Hog--Tucutuco--Molothrus, cuckoo-like habits-- Tyrant-flycatcher--Mocking-bird--Carrion Hawks--Tubes formed by lightning--House struck.

       CHAPTER IV.

       Rio Negro--Estancias attacked by the Indians--Salt-Lakes-- Flamingoes--R. Negro to R. Colorado--Sacred Tree-- Patagonian Hare--Indian Families--General Rosas--Proceed to Bahia Blanca--Sand Dunes--Negro Lieutenant--Bahia Blanca-- Saline incrustations--Punta Alta--Zorillo.

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       CHAPTER V.

       Bahia Blanca--Geology--Numerous gigantic extinct Quadrupeds

       --Recent Extinction--Longevity of Species--Large Animals do not require a luxuriant vegetation--Southern Africa--Siberian Fossils--Two Species of Ostrich--Habits of Oven-bird-- Armadilloes--Venomous Snake, Toad, Lizard--Hybernation of Animals--Habits of Sea-Pen--Indian Wars and Massacres-- Arrowhead--Antiquarian Relic.

       CHAPTER VI.

       Set out for Buenos Ayres--Rio Sauce--Sierra Ventana--Third Posta--Driving Horses--Bolas--Partridges and Foxes-- Features of the country--Long-legged Plover--Teru-tero--

       Hail-storm--Natural enclosures in the Sierra Tapalguen--Flesh of Puma--Meat Diet--Guardia del Monte--Effects of cattle on the Vegetation--Cardoon--Buenos Ayres--Corral where cattle are slaughtered.

       CHAPTER VII.

       Excursion to St. FA(c)--Thistle Beds--Habits of the Bizcacha--

       Little Owl--Saline streams--Level plains--Mastodon--St.

       FA(c)--Change in landscape--Geology--Tooth of extinct Horse-- Relation of the Fossil and recent Quadrupeds of North and South America--Effects of a great drought--Parana--Habits of the

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       Jaguar--Scissor-beak--Kingfisher, Parrot, and Scissor-tail--

       Revolution--Buenos Ayres--State of Government.

       CHAPTER VIII.

       Excursion to Colonia del Sacramiento--Value of an Estancia-- Cattle, how counted--Singular breed of Oxen--Perforated pebbles--Shepherd-dogs--Horses broken-in, Gauchos riding-- Character of Inhabitants--Rio Plata--Flocks of Butterflies-- Aeronaut Spiders--Phosphorescence of the Sea--Port Desire-- Guanaco--Port St. Julian--Geology of Patagonia--Fossil gigantic Animal--Types of Organisation constant--Change in the Zoology of America--Causes of Extinction.

       CHAPTER IX.

       Santa Cruz--Expedition up the River--Indians--Immense streams of basaltic lava--Fragments not transported by the river--Excavation of the valley--Condor, habits of-- Cordillera--Erratic boulders of great size--Indian relics-- Return to the ship--Falkland Islands--Wild horses, cattle, rabbits--Wolf-like fox--Fire made of bones--Manner of hunting wild cattle--Geology--Streams of stones--Scenes of violence--Penguin--Geese--Eggs of Doris--Compound animals.

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       CHAPTER X.

       Tierra del Fuego, first arrival--Good Success Bay--An account of the Fuegians on board--Interview with the savages--Scenery of the forests--Cape Horn--Wigwam Cove--Miserable condition of the savages--Famines--Cannibals--Matricide--Religious feelings--Great Gale--Beagle Channel--Ponsonby Sound--

       Build wigwams and settle the Fuegians--Bifurcation of the

       Beagle Channel--Glaciers--Return to the Ship--Second visit

       in the Ship to the Settlement--Equality of condition amongst the natives.

       CHAPTER XI.

       Strait of Magellan--Port Famine--Ascent of Mount Tarn-- Forests--Edible fungus--Zoology--Great Seaweed--Leave Tierra del Fuego--Climate--Fruit-trees and productions of the southern coasts--Height of snow-line on the Cordillera-- Descent of glaciers to the sea--Icebergs formed--Transportal

       of boulders--Climate and productions of the Antarctic Islands

       --Preservation of frozen carcasses--Recapitulation.

       CHAPTER XII.

       Valparaiso--Excursion to the foot of the Andes--Structure of the land--Ascend the Bell of Quillota--Shattered masses of greenstone--Immense valleys--Mines--State of miners-- Santiago--Hot-baths of Cauquenes--Gold-mines--

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       Grinding-mills--Perforated stones--Habits of the Puma--El

       Turco and Tapacolo--Humming-birds.

       CHAPTER XIII.

       Chiloe--General aspect--Boat excursion--Native Indians-- Castro--Tame fox--Ascend San Pedro--Chonos Archipelago-- Peninsula of Tres Montes--Granitic range--Boat-wrecked sailors--Low's Harbour--Wild potato--Formation of peat-- Myopotamus, otter and mice--Cheucau and Barking-bird-- Opetiorhynchus--Singular character of ornithology--Petrels.

       CHAPTER XIV.

       San Carlos, Chiloe--Osorno in eruption, contemporaneously with

       Aconcagua and Coseguina--Ride to Cucao--Impenetrable forests

       --Valdivia--Indians--Earthquake--Concepcion--Great

       earthquake--Rocks fissured--Appearance of the former towns--

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