66 On the Natural History of Guan'o: 



IX. A^ote on the Natural History of the substance called 

 Guano. By the Editor. 



MESSRS. FOURCROY and Vauquelin have 

 lately analysed a mould, found at the depth of more 

 than fifty feet, in some desert islands of the South- 

 Seas, and which is employed as manure on the coasts 

 of Peru, where it is called Guano. " This analysis 

 (says Mr. Cuvier) has so great a resemblanco to that 

 of pigeons' dung, that there is reason to believe, with 

 Mr. Humboldt, who brought this guano to Europe, 

 that it is nothing but the excrement of birds, which 

 frequent these islands in immense numbers*." 



There seems to be little doubt, that the guano ex- 

 amined by the illustrious French chemists is, indeed, 

 an animal substance, or, at least, the excrement of 

 birds. This was asserted by the learned Jesuit, Acos- 

 ta, in his Natural and Moral History of the East and 

 West-Indies, published about two hundred years ago. 

 In this work, after giving an account of the manner 

 in which the Americans made their pictures of the 

 feathers of Humming-birds and other small birds, he 

 proceeds thus : " There are other birds at the Indies, 

 contrarie to these of so rich feathers, the which (be- 

 sides that they are ill favoured) serve to no other use 

 but for dung, and yet perchance they are of no lessc 

 profile. I have considered this, wondering at the 

 providence of the Creator, who hath so appointed, 



* Sec Tilloclib Philosophical Magazine, for July, 1805. p. 177. 



