. To the River Plate and back; the narrative of a scientific mission to South America . rose intothe air and wheeling in their flight betook themselves toanother dead tree, which stood far off in the clearing andto which it would have been vain for me to attempt tofollow them across muddy ditches and through thornytangles. While I was engaged in stalking the parra-keets and chasing insects, the botanist was happy todiscover upon the mossy trunks of some half-deadtrees colonies of curious epiphytes. He found severalorchids, of which he possessed himself, removing themtogether with the damp bark
. To the River Plate and back; the narrative of a scientific mission to South America . rose intothe air and wheeling in their flight betook themselves toanother dead tree, which stood far off in the clearing andto which it would have been vain for me to attempt tofollow them across muddy ditches and through thornytangles. While I was engaged in stalking the parra-keets and chasing insects, the botanist was happy todiscover upon the mossy trunks of some half-deadtrees colonies of curious epiphytes. He found severalorchids, of which he possessed himself, removing themtogether with the damp bark to which they wereadherent. I hope that they lived, and have since thenbloomed. i8o To the River Plate and Back The evening before Dr. Roth had entertained us withan account of the habits of the carpincho {Ilydrochosruscapybara), the huge rodent of these regions, which is stillnot uncommon in the delta. It is as large as a pig, thebiggest rodent now known to exist, though once therewere animals (Diprotodon) belonging to the Roden-tia as large as oxen. The carpincho is nocturnal in. Fig. 13—Carpinchos (Hydrorhwrns capybara). ;,\, nat. size. its habits. The good Doctor told us that when engagedin surveying the country he had at one time in hisemployment a man whose highest delight was to huntcarpinchos at night. He was carpincho-crazy, andafter having worked hard all day, would hurriedly eathis supper, and then sneak off in a rowboat and spendthe whole night v/aiting in the darkness at some likelyspot to get a shot at the animals. The flesh is said notto be very palatable, and the hides have comparativelysmall value, being chiefly used in making the under sidesof the native saddles, or straps in harness. Keepyour eyes open for carpinchos, said the Doctor, youmay catch sight of the animals hereabouts. As luckwould have it we did not see any of the beasts, butwithin a hundred yards of the farmhouse we came The Delta of the Parana iSi ujjoii the tracks and the ordure of a herd, w
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbrazild, bookyear1913
