▁of ▁Lin ares , ▁in ▁the ▁Mau le ▁Region ▁of ▁Chile . ▁His ▁parents ▁were ▁Ag ust ín ▁Mol ina ▁and ▁Francis ca ▁González ▁Br una . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Tal ca ▁and ▁the ▁Jes uit ▁College ▁at ▁Con cep ción . ▁He ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁leave ▁Chile ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 8 ▁when ▁the ▁Jes uits ▁were ▁exp elled ▁from ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Empire . ▁He ▁settled ▁in ▁Bolog na , ▁Italy , ▁and ▁became ▁professor ▁of ▁natural ▁sciences ▁there . ▁He ▁wrote ▁S aggio ▁sulla ▁Storia ▁Natur ale ▁del ▁Ch ili ▁ ▁( 1 7 8 2 ), ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁natural ▁history ▁of ▁that ▁country , ▁and ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁described ▁many ▁species ▁new ▁to ▁science . ▁ ▁Scient ific ▁work ▁As ▁a ▁scient ist ▁native ▁to ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁Mol ina ▁was ▁very ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Corn el ius ▁de ▁P au w , ▁who ▁was ▁in ▁Europe ▁regarded ▁as ▁an ▁expert ▁on ▁the ▁Amer icas , ▁and ▁accused ▁him ▁of ▁" always ▁attempting ▁to ▁deg rade ▁and ▁dis cred it ▁the ▁Amer icas ". ▁Some ▁of ▁De ▁P au w ' s ▁statements ▁on ▁the ▁supposed ly ▁poor ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁min eral ▁wealth ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁were ▁counter ed ▁by ▁Mol ina ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁De ▁P au w ' s ▁claims ▁on ▁the ▁shorter ▁lives ▁of ▁people ▁that ▁inhab ited ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁ ▁Mol ina ▁expressed ▁support ▁for ▁a ▁sed iment ary ▁origin ▁of ▁bas