Page:The birds of Tierra del Fuego - Richard Crawshay.djvu/47

Rh almost as the Wolf of the northern hemisphere, destructive to Sheep, and a very bold robber in camps. Another Carnivore is the Otter {Lutra platensis). The Sea Lion or Eared Seal {Otaria juhata) is abundant on the coast, and the carcases are often seen on the beach. A Bat {Vesperugo magellanicus) is sometimes, though very rarely, met with. Quite one of the features of the land is the Mole-like Ctenomys magellanicus, which honeycombs the ground in the open country to such an extent as to make it a burden to ride or walk. It is remarkable that where Sheep have been herded in any numbers, this animal has been trampled out of existence. Another Rodent (RBhithrodon) is still plentiful on the flats. In the seaweed on the sea-shore I obtained a small buff-coloured Mouse {Akodon). Whales are plentiful in these waters, from those of the largest size known to some of the smallest. On the beach in Useless Bay I saw the remains of one—the Blue Whale {Balcenoptera sibbaldii). Sir William Turner suggests—which, when entire, measured eighty-seven feet in length. I saw another of similar size in San Sebastian Bay. By white settlers the vertebrae are frequently utilized as stools. In Whiteside Channel. I saw Whales blowing in all directions. In more than usually stormy weather. I have seen them in Useless Bay. Amongst the smaller species is a Black Dolphin (Glohicephalus), numbers of which may sometimes be seen dead along shore, in places three or four together. Large creatures as they are—some ten or twelve feet long—their wholesale destruction, due to no apparent cause, presents an extraordinary spectacle.

Birds are the most important fauna of all, although the majority are only summer visitors—even in the case of Geese and Ducks. Orders represented are:— Accipitres. Striges. Psittaci. Pici. Passeres. Herodiones. Anseres. Ralli. Limicolse. Tubinares. Steganopodes. Pygopodes. Sphenisci. The most numerous in species are Passeres. Limicolas, and Anseres. Psittaci and Pici are represented only by a single member. Prominent mainland orders in Tinami and Struthiones do not occur.