Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

10 BULJUETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
stretching inland from muddy bays, where shore birds were common.
Woody vegetation was confined to low shrubs (mainly Grahwmia
hracteata), except where willows or eucalypts grew about scattered
houses. Broad areas were covered with Salicornia. December 14 I
moved north by rail to Carhue, Buenos Aires, a small town just beyond
the Sierra de la Ventana, with a large lake of strongly saline
water known as Lago Epiquen near by. The country here was
rolling and was divided, as usual, into large estates given to grazing
or the cultivation of wheat. Hollows on the pampa were occupied by
little ponds or marshes, and extensive upland^ were grown with bunch
grass. Thousands of grebes were present on the large lake, attracted
perhaps by myriads of brine shrimp, but were preparing to move
to their breeding grounds elsewhere. After a few days spent in observation
and collecting in this somewhat high pampa, on December
21 I continued by rail by way of Alta Vista, Darragueira, and Pico
to Victorica, in the Gobernacion de Pampa, where I arrived Decem-
ber 22. Rolling sand dunes mingled with more level areas at this
point and there were extensive tracts of open forest of calden {Prosopis
nigra), a thick-trunked, short-limbed tree, with lower growth
of smaller trees, spiny shrubs, and stalked cacti. The region had
been reported as one of many lagoons, but the present season had
been extremely dry so that little water remained, and water-loving
birds had perforce departed for other regions. The drought broke
after Christmas, and two tremendous downpours filled all hollows
with water. Small brush and tree haunting birds were very
abundant here, but their tenure is limited, as land is being steadily
cleared for wood or for cultivation. The belt of forest (pi. 9) was
reported to extend for many kilometers north and south. On December
31 I departed by rail for Buenos Aires, where I arrived the
following day.
January 7, 1921, I embarked on a steamer and early the follow-
ing morning arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay, where I was oc-
cupied in various official matters for nearly two weeks, with time
only for excursions along the coast to Carrasco, a summer resort,
or to some of the numerous parks. On January 22 I proceeded
by train to San Carlos and crossed by motor to Rocha in eastern
Uruguay. The following morning I went for the day by train to
the port of Rocha, known as La Paloma, where I found an ex-
tensive sand beach bordered inland by rolling pampa, cut by steepwalled
gullies that sheltered dense thickets. Returning to Rocha
the following morning I continued by motor from Rocha to San
Vicente de Castillos, called locally Castillos, and shown on most
maps as San Vicente. Inland, rounded hills, with frequent exposures
of granite, rose with slopes grown with thickets and low
trees. The Cerro Navarro, northeast of town, was especially promi-