Begiiiniiigs of Naliiral History in Anioica. 369 



beautiful feathered stuffs These last-mentioned birds very much rcsemblL' our 

 Spanish jays and are called by the Indians quezalcs.' 



The species of sparrows =^ were very curious, having five distinct colors in their 

 phnnage — green, red, white, yellow, blue. 



There were such vast numbers of parrots and such a variety of kinds that I can not 

 remember all their names ; and geese of the richest plumage and other large birds. 



These were at stated periods stripped of their feathers, that new ones might 

 grow in their place. All these birds had appropriate places to breed in and were 

 un<ler the care of several Indians of both sexes, who had to keep their nests clean, 

 give to each kind its proper food, and set the birds for breeding. 



Ill another place, near a temple, were kept all manner of beatitifiil 

 animals, the names of which were not noted by Diaz, nor their pecul- 

 iarities described. 



In the building where the human sacrifices were perpetrated there were dens in 

 which were kept poisonous serpents, and among them "a species at the end of whose 

 tail there was a kind of rattle." This last-mentioned serpent,' which is the most 

 dangerous, was kept in a cabin in which a quantity of feathers had been strewed ; 

 here it laid its eggs, and it was fed with the flesh of dogs and of human beings which 

 had been sacrificed. . . . When all the tigers and lions 3 roared together with 

 the bowlings of the jackals'* and foxes and hissing of the serpents, it was quite fearful, 

 and you could not suppose otherwise than that you were in hell. 



This is the first record of the rattlesnake, and brings to mind the cap- 

 tive snakes of the Mokis, their annual snake dance, and their use of 

 feathers in the same connection.^ 



I am not 3'et prepared to believe in the marvelous aquaria described 

 by Prescott, although fish ponds there doubtless were. 



I am assured by our fellow-member, Seiior Aguilera, that the loca- 

 tions of the gardens of Montezuma are well identified, and that the Mex- 

 ican Indians still possess a marvelous knowledge of the medicinal virtues 

 of plants, which is handed down by tradition from generation to genera- 

 tion. From this he infers that in the days of Aztec glory the knowledge 

 of the uses of plants must have been very comprehensive. 



Who shall say that the spirit of true science did not inspire the Inca 

 Pachacutec, when mau}^ centuries ago he handed down to his descendants 

 maxims such as this: 



A herbalist who knows the names but is ignorant of the virtues and qualities of 

 herbs, or he who knows few but is ignorant of most, is a mere quack and mounte- 

 bank, and deserves not the name and repute of a ph3'sician until he is .skillful as 

 well in the noxious as in the salutiferous qualities of herbs. 



Impressed with the extent of the knowledge of nature among the 

 aborigines of America, I asked one of the most learned of our anthro- 



' Trogons, known as qiictzalcs by the Mexican Indians of to-day. Excellent exam- 

 ples of their pictorial use of trogon feathers may be seen in the United vStates National 

 Museum. = Cyaiiofiha versicolor. 



3 Ocelot, juguars, pumas, eyras, jaguarundis. 



* The coyote [coyotl), Canis /a/nvis. 



5 John G. Bourke, The vSnake Dance of the Motjuis of Arizona, New York, 1S84. 

 NAT MUS 97, I'T 2 r24 



