Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

292 SHELL-FISH. The pico, \\ liicli is a barnacle, grows to a very large size at Concepcion, however, it is still larger, being six or seven inches in length. It has, when properly cooked, very much the flavour of a crab, and by the inhabitants of this Archipelago is considered preferable to any other shell-fish. Before concluding this imperfect description of the shell-fish of Childe, the piure claims some consideration, if it be only for its peculiar and disagreeable appearance. It was considered by Molina as a genus allied to Ascidia (Mol. i. 214), none of the varieties of which are inviting in their look, as an edible sub- stance, but the piure is still less so. It is thus described by Molina : " The piure, scarcely deserving the name of a living animal, is as remarkable for its figure, as for the manner in which it is lodged. The body is about the size and shape of a small pear, an inch in diameter ; or it may be described as a small, conical, fleshy bag, of a red colour, filled with sahne liquor, and provided with two trunks or processes in the upper part, one of which is the mouth, similar to that of the Tetias ; and between these processes are seen two small, black, and shining points, which are supposed to be the eyes. I could distinguish no other organs, nor any viscera in the fleshy sub- stance of which it is composed, which is smooth without and spongy within They are extremely sensitive, and when touched, spout water out of both apertures. These small animals are shut up in a firm, but glutinous case, of various shapes; one case often contains eight or ten distinct bodies, separated from each other by cells, formed of a strong membraneous substance. They are attached to rocks or stones, under water, excepting when left uncovered by a low tide. The natives eat them boiled, or roasted in their shells. They also dry them for exportation to the province of Cusco, where their flavour is much esteemed, and considered equal to that of the lobster." At Childe, the piure is said to be a remedy for barrenness and to such an extent has this idea prevailed, that a Chilote woman, eating this fish, literally says, if asked what she is doing, that " she is making children." One would not, how- ever, suppose, from the number of children which are seen