Ch. V. SOUTH AMEPvICA. loi 



charge ; when, receiving another; fuch fíroke, he is to- 

 tally deprived of" his moii" daijgerous weapons, and 

 rendered incapable of moving. After which the per- 

 lón kills hiin at his leillire, and fíripping oif the ikin, 

 cutting off the head, and the fore and hind feet, re- 

 turns to the town, diCplaying thefe as the trophies of 

 his viélory. 



Among the great variety of animals in this country, 

 one of the molt remarkable is the Perico ligero, or 

 nimble Peter, an ironical name given it on account of 

 its extreme ñuggiflinefs and floth. It refembles a 

 middling monkey, but of a wretched appearance, its 

 fkin being of a greyifh brown, all over corrugated, 

 and the legs and leet v\ithout hair. He is fo lumpiih, 

 as not to Hand in need of either chain or hutch, for 

 he never ñlrs till coaipelled by hunger. When he 

 moves, every effort is attended with fuch a plaintive, 

 and at the fame time ib diiagreeable a cry, as at once 

 produces pity and difgufl -, and this ev«n oia the 

 ílighteíl motion of the head, legs, or feet ; proceeding 

 probably from a general contraóiion of the mufcles 

 and nerves of his body, which puts him to extreme 

 pain vi hen he endeavours to move them. In this dii- 

 agreeable cry confifts his whole defence ; for, it being 

 natural to him to fly at the üríl hoflile approach of 

 any beait, he makes at every motion fuch bowlings 

 as are £ven infupponable to his purfuer, who fooa 

 quits him, and even flies beyond the hearing of his 

 liorrid noife. Nor is it only during the time he is in 

 motion that he utters thefe cries ; he repeats them 

 while he refis himfelf, continuing a long time motion- 

 lefs before he takes another march. The food of this 

 creature is generally wild fruits ; when he x:an find 

 none on the ground, he looks out for a tree well load- 

 ed, which, with a great deal of pains, he climbs; 

 and, to llive himfelf fuch another toilfome afcent, 

 plucks off all the fruit, throwing them on the ground; 

 and to avoid the pain of dcfcending, forms himfelf 



H 3 into 



