€ii.IX. SOUTH AMERICA. 105 



prehended under the «'enerical name of g'lianoes. A 

 little after the appearance of the sun, thoy rise from 

 those islands in such largo and thick ilights as to- 

 tally to cover them, and fly towards the sea for an 

 hour or two, without any visible decrease of their 

 number. When at some distance from the land they 

 divide themselves, and begin their iishing' in a very 

 entertaining manner. They fly in a circle at a con- 

 siderable height above the water, and on seeing a 

 fish, they dart down with their beak foremost and 

 their wings closed with such force that the agita- 

 tion of the water is seen at a distance ; after wiiich 

 they rise again into the air and devour the fish. 

 Sometimes they remain a considerable time under 

 water, and rise at some distance from the place 

 where they fell, doubtless because the fish has endea- 

 voured to escape, thus disputing celerity with them 

 in their own element. Tiiey are continually seen in 

 the place they frequent, some watching in gyra- 

 tions, some darting down, others rising with their 

 prey; while their great numbers render this con- 

 fusion diverting to the spectator. ^Vhen they are 

 either tired or satisfied they alight upon the wavcs^ 

 and at sun-set, forming themselves into one body, 

 withdraw to the islands where tliey pass the night. 



At the port of Callao it is observed, tha,: all the 

 birds which rest on those islands to the N. of it, nithe 

 morning universally fly towards the S. in quest of 

 prey, rcduning in the evening to their place of rest ; 

 when the iniddle of the flight is over the harbour, nei- 

 ther the beginning nor end can be seen, and the whole 

 track take up tvvo or three hours in passing over. 



Though shell fisli are very scarce along this coast, 

 some are found near Callao; pariicukrly a kind, the 

 shell of which resembles that of a muscle, ihougli 

 much larger. The iish itseU has more the appearance 

 of ao oyster, and much the saniti tabte._¿ 



The 



