ThelittleowlAthenecunicularia，whichhasbeensooftenmentioned，ontheplainsofBuenosAyresexclusivelyinhabitstheholesofthebizcacha；
butinBandaOrientalitisitsownworkman。Duringtheopenday，butmoreespeciallyintheevening，thesebirdsmaybeseenineverydirectionstandingfrequentlybypairsonthehillockneartheirburrows。Ifdisturbedtheyeitherenterthehole，or，utteringashrillharshcry，movewitharemarkablyundulatoryflighttoashortdistance，andthenturninground，steadilygazeattheirpursuer。Occasionallyintheeveningtheymaybeheardhooting。
IfoundinthestomachsoftwowhichIopenedtheremainsofmice，andIonedaysawasmallsnakekilledandcarriedaway。Itissaidthatsnakesaretheircommonpreyduringthedaytime。Imayheremention，asshowingonwhatvariouskindsoffoodowlssubsist，thataspecieskilledamongtheisletsoftheChonosArchipelago，haditsstomachfullofgood-sizedcrabs。InIndia[2]thereisafishinggenusofowls，whichlikewisecatchescrabs。
IntheeveningwecrossedtheRioArrecifeonasimpleraftmadeofbarrelslashedtogether，andsleptatthepost-houseontheotherside。
Ithisdaypaidhorse-hireforthirty-oneleagues；andalthoughthesunwasglaringhotIwasbutlittlefatigued。WhenCaptainHeadtalksofridingfiftyleaguesaday，Idonotimaginethedistanceisequalto150Englishmiles。Atallevents，thethirty-oneleagueswasonly76milesinastraightline，andinanopencountryIshouldthinkfouradditionalmilesforturningswouldbeasufficientallowance。