Ch. V. SOUTH AMERICA. 1245 



picos, &c. And with rfgard to tru-fe, the air may be 

 ¡aid to vie with the fertility of the earth. 



Among the birds I mufi: not omit one of a very 

 lingular kind, and found all over the country. The 

 natives call thefe birds difpertadores, awakeners, from 

 their giving notice to others of the approach of any 

 danger. On hearing the noife of the approach of any 

 creature whether man or beaft, or feeing them within a 

 fmall diPianre, they rife from the ground, and make a 

 loud chattering not unlike that of a magpye j con- 

 tinuir.g the noife, and flying about in 'the air over the 

 objeft which cauied the alarm. This is underilood by 

 the birds thereabouts, who immediately rife, and by 

 that means efciipe tiie danger. 



This bird is about the fize of a middling fowl, its 

 plumage black and white, has a thick neck, the head 

 Ibmething large, eredt, and beautifully adorned with 

 a tuft of ti'rithers; its eyes are large, fr^arp and lively; 

 its bill wrll proportioned, ftrong, and a little curved. 

 On thefoie part of their wings are two fpurs, about 

 an inch in length, of a reddifh tinct towards the root* 

 and their points refembling thofe of a cock, being 

 very hard and iharp, Thefe are the weapons they 

 make ufe of againir the other birds, pariicularly 

 thofe of preVj as hawks, and others of that kind, which 

 probably abound the more in this country, from the 

 great variety of prey it afford,-> them. 



Among the iinging birds is the goldfinch, in every 

 particular refembling thofe of Spain, except a fmail 

 variadon in its plumage. There are befides others 

 proper to this country, and met with in all the cold 

 climates, particularly me piches, which are fomething 

 larger than fparrows. . They are of a brown colour, 

 fpotted with black, except their breail, which is of a 

 rnoit beautiful red, and Ibmc feathers of the fame co- 

 lour in their wings, inteniiixed with others of a bright 

 yellow. Amidit all the fertility of this country, tne 

 only infecls'are the niguas '^r piques: and thoiign iome 

 i^ 3 fnakes 



