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presumably for marrow.  Scientists have argued for the last two decades as to the probable age of the skin, guessing everywhere from 400 to 4000 years.  A [[strikethrough]] n ancient [[/strikethrough]] drawing of a fossil lizard is on exhibition as one of the first studies made in paleontology; it was done by a Spanish monk in 1785.  Dr. Carlos Bruch, the famous entomologist, was responsible for the insect exhibition, and the manner in which he arranged ant nests was particularly interesting and illuminating. 

We left La Plata at 6.30, and were back in B.A., at the Continental Hotel (16 pesos)in time to have dinner with Dr. Francke, the naturalist of the park service, a charming young German with a Sasha Siemel beard. 

[[underline]] May 20 - B.A. [[/underline]]

We met Dr. Homlberg at the Zoo at noon, and he took us for a drive out into the country.  We stopped first at his country place, La Saludo, near San Fernando, an old house built 150 years ago, and, he said, true Argentine style, simple, rambling, stucco, with long verandahs.  The view out over the distant Parana was beautiful.  An arbor covered with wistaria made us long to see the place in spring - trunks of the vine thicker than a man's arm.

A few miles farther we came to Casa de los Granados, the country estate of Natalio Botana,the publisher of La Critica.  We drove in first to a house called Karavan, where one of his sons lives, and had a brief look at the pheasantry before we were summoned to lunch.  The house was huge, with beamed ceilings of dark, hand-hewn ironwood.  Around a big circular table, which had a plate glass top over the beautiful Spanish lace, twelve of us sat down in gigantic chairs, the backs and seats of which were interlaced strips of white tapir skin.  Wine glasses were gold-encrusted, and all the China was a Spanish pottery with our host's monogram on it.  We ate Chilean lobsters that had been flown across the Andes by plane; pheasant pie, which was proudly shown to the guests before the pie was opened.  Cooked in earthenware covered dishes, the tops had been decorated with pheasants heads and tail feathers.  Baby lamb with vegetables followed, then fruit and coffee.  Different wines, all French, were served with every course, ending with champagne.  

Batano's son and daughter, with their husband and wife, were present, as were Newberry of El Muno, the governor of Entre Rios, the head of the Argentine Air Force, a singer, a poet, a retired college president with a long grey beard, and a number of newspaper men - most of them apparently having just dropped in unannounced because it was a week-end.  Some ate in the living room and some in the breakfast room. 

After lunch we went on a tour of the place, admiring the Spanish tile designs on the outside of the house, the tiled patio with its little pool where the small grandson goes paddling, the huge outdoor swimming pool, with a cast iron 

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